Overview
- The Chicago White Sox selected Landon Thome with the Competitive Balance A pick at No. 34 in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday.
- Thome is an 18-year-old left-handed hitter from Nazareth Academy who was named the 2026 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year after hitting .535 with seven homers, 57 runs and a school-record 49 steals.
- Scouts praise his bat-to-ball skills and 91.1 mph average exit velocity but expect he will shift from high-school shortstop to second or third base in pro ball.
- Landon is a Florida State commit and has not signed a professional contract yet, so the club and player must decide in coming weeks whether he turns pro or goes to college.
- The selection highlights close local and organizational ties: Jim Thome, a 2018 Hall of Fame inductee who hit 612 career homers, serves as a White Sox special assistant and was on hand as his son joined the franchise.