Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas is making an impression early in the World Baseball Classic.
After smacking a two-run single for insurance in Mexico’s 8-2 win over Great Britain on Friday, Thomas crushed an undermanned Brazil pitching staff in a 16-0 rout.
Thomas went 3-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, two runs and a walk, doing so in front of a packed pro-Mexico crowd in Houston (36,380), his family in the stands and his father, Allen Thomas, who is Brazil’s strength and conditioning coach for the tournament.
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After the game, Mexico manager Benji Gil praised not only Thomas’ commitment to representing his mother’s heritage on the national team but set lofty expectations for the 25-year-old outfielder.
“I know he’s 100 percent committed, but he’s a stud. He’s an absolute stud. He’s about to have a breakout year,” Gil told reporters in Houston.
“I think he’s going to become a perennial All-Star, a Gold Glove candidate every single year. … It goes to show what I think he’s going to be. I think he’s going to be a 15-, 20-year type of major leaguer. … I think he’s going to be the foundation of a winning team. He already was a center fielder for a World Series team that just didn’t win the championship. I’m hoping that he’s a center fielder of a team that wins the WBC.”
It was a family affair in Houston tonight between Team Mexico outfielder Alek Thomas and his father, Team Brazil strength and conditioning coach Allen Thomas.
Dad couldn't hold back the smile when his son homered against his team ? pic.twitter.com/Qlv72Sprcv
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 9, 2026
That would be rather helpful for the Diamondbacks moving forward. With a strong core atop the batting order, the D-backs could use a couple developmental successes to deepen the lineup.
Thomas was the top-ranked prospect in Arizona’s farm system before making his debut in 2022, and he looked primed to breakout after taking the “ride of his life” during the 2023 postseason. Hamstring injuries hampered him in 2024, and other than a few hot stretches here and there, he did not take a substantial step forward last year.
He has a career .639 OPS with 2.5 bWAR, and general manager Mike Hazen admitted at the start of camp that this is a “huge” season for Thomas to lock down a position. The D-backs moved former top prospect Jordan Lawlar to the outfield, while present top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt is an outfielder making his way through the system, adding urgency to Thomas finding his footing offensively.
After going into camp having made adjustments, most visibly a smaller leg kick, Thomas got off to a quality start in spring — 6-for-16 with a couple walks in six Cactus League games — before he smacked two hits against the D-backs for Team Mexico in an exhibition game.
His next test in the WBC will come against a significant step up in talent, as Mexico will play Team USA on Monday night with Paul Skenes making his WBC debut. To add to the stakes, Mexico has won its last three WBC matchups against the U.S.
Alek Thomas homers against father’s team
As for Thomas playing in front of family, he’s developing a track record of hitting home runs against his father’s teams. Back in 2019, when Thomas was a recent draftee, he clubbed a home run in a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox with his father in the opposing dugout.
The elder Thomas was Chicago’s director of strength and conditioning, so Alek Thomas grew up around ballparks.
“It was really fun today to play against him and see him in the other dugout. We only got a chance to do that back in 2019, and we had talks about doing it at the big-league level and never got a chance to do that,” Thomas said. “But to do it on the big stage such as the WBC is super special and my family is here watching. … It was super fun and I’m glad he was in the other dugout able to see me play.”
.@jonmorosi has a new gift courtesy of Team Mexico! ???
Alek Thomas joined JP after Mexico's dominant win over Brazil to talk through their matchup with Team USA on Monday and playing against his father at the #WorldBaseballClassic. pic.twitter.com/ozcQ0gTdwR
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 9, 2026
Mexico and the United States will play at 5 p.m. MST on Monday night with the game airing on FOX. Mexico, off to a 2-0 start, will play Italy to close pool play on Wednesday.
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