White Sox draft SS Landon Thome, son of Hall of Famer Jim

With the No. 34 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the White Sox selected shortstop Landon Thome. The son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome, who is a special assistant to Chicago general manager Chris Getz, Landon is MLB Pipeline's 34th-ranked Draft prospect.

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The 18-year-old shortstop out of Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Ill., is viewed as one of the best high school hitters in this year's Draft class.

Like his dad, who's also an assistant coach at Nazareth, Thome swings lefty and has the ability to do damage -- just in a different way. The Florida State commit has shown himself to be a well-rounded hitter and can drive the ball with authority to all fields (he already has a 91.1 mph average exit velo), though scouts say his overall hitting ability is more apparent than his home run prowess at the moment -- but the pop is there.

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"Looking back at my dad in high school [when Jim was also a shortstop], he kind of had a similar build to me, kind of a longer, lankier guy," Landon told MLB.com recently. "I'm more of a different hitter than my dad, just kind of more of a pure hitter, while my dad is more kind of that power guy. So I try to kind of model my game after myself. I like to play my own game instead of trying to model my game after other people."

Thome was named the 2026 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year after hitting .535 with seven homers, 29 RBIs, 57 runs scored and a 1.676 OPS at the time of the selection. The 6-foot, 177-pound senior also stole 49 bases in 50 attempts for Nazareth to set the school's single-season steals record. His ability to steal bases is another factor that makes him distinct from his father, who stole just 19 bases during his 22-year career.

“I truly believe, as much as he loves the offensive side, when he reaches first base, to watch him run the bases is special,” the elder Thome told MLB.com. “He wants to score, wants to change the game on the bases with a very aggressive impact.”

On defense, Thome is unlikely to remain at shortstop as a pro, or even in college, given his limited quickness and average throwing arm. But scouts say he has improved his movement and throwing after working with the Padres' Jake Cronenworth in the offseason, meaning he could be a better fit at second or third base.