Alek

Thomas

Thomas drew a walk in the third and scored Arizona’s first run on a triple by Corbin Carroll. He then singled and scored in the fifth and sixth innings while collecting a steal before slugging a solo homer to lead off the eighth. The 25-year-old outfielder is hitting .273/.315/.395 with three homers, 21 runs scored, 19 RBI and four steals across 185 plate appearances.

He also took a bad route on a tough liner from Christian Encarnacion-Strand that turned into a game-winning double in the 10th inning after play resumed Saturday. Thomas got off to a quick start this year to separate himself from Jake McCarthy in center field, but he’s down to .255/.298/.367 now. His 42/6 K/BB in 169 PA is particularly ugly. It still wouldn’t make much sense to switch him with McCarthy, since he is the better all-around player. Still, he needs to pick it up some.

Jorge Barrosa started over Thomas against a lefty on Tuesday, which wasn’t surprising, but also again versus a righty yesterday. Following a hot start, Thomas has been unexceptional of late, hitting .243/.300/.324 in his last 11 games. Barrosa, though, is only 3-for-15 with a 5/0 K/BB since his callup.

McCarthy has split time with Alek Thomas in center field this season for Arizona, hitting .073 (3-for-41) with zero homers, three RBI and one steal through 14 games. He can be safely dropped in nearly all fantasy formats. There’s been no indication yet that top prospect Jordan Lawlar is on his way to Arizona, but the move frees up a roster spot. Draw your own conclusions.

McCarthy will get his first action since Sunday after being plunked in the hand. The outfielder has scuffled with the bat in 2025, but the D-Backs will give him a shot to turn it around before handing the job full-time to Alek Thomas.

Thomas has also started four of the last five and seems to have wrestled away the starting job from Jake McCarthy pretty firmly for now. Thomas is just 24 years old and is a former top prospect, so it makes sense for Arizona to continue to give him a chance to play full-time. So far, he’s hitting .308/.364/.462 in 44 plate appearances with 10 RBI and two steals. He seems to have a slightly more aggressive approach this season, pulling and barreling the ball more often, which could make him an intriguing fantasy asset for batting average and steals.

Thomas entered the game as a defensive replacement late in the game, then strolled to the dish with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning. He came through in a huge way, grounding a two-run single into right field, transforming a 3-2 lead into a 5-2 advantage. On the season, the 24-year-old outfielder is hitting an impressive .344/.389/.531 with zero homers, 10 RBI and a pair of stolen bases in his first 36 plate appearances.

That’s even though the D-backs are facing a righty. Alek Thomas seems to have overtaken McCarthy as the team’s preferred option in center. He’s the better defender and probably also the superior hitter when healthy. McCarthy’s speed gives him mixed-league value when he’s playing regularly, but he seems droppable right now.

Thomas got the start in center field on Saturday, batting eighth against the Nationals. The 24-year-old outfielder has essentially split start in center with Jake McCarthy through nine game. He had two hits for the Diamondbacks in this one, driving in one run with a single in the ninth. Thomas is 7-for-17 on the season with five RBI and a pair of doubles.

Thomas, 24, had three of the eight hits for the D-Backs in the blowout win. He’s expected to get a decent amount of playing time against right-handed pitching, and while Thomas is a former top prospect, he’s a tough sell from a fantasy perspective because of his past struggles at the plate. At 24 years of age, a breakout season can’t be completely dismissed, however.