Outfielder Cody Thomas was selected by the Dodgers in the 13th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Oklahoma.

Thomas had previously been drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2013 Amateur Draft when he graduated from Colleyville Heritage High School in his hometown of Colleyville, Texas. He chose not to sign with the Yankees but made a commitment to play football and baseball at the University of Oklahoma.

The 6’4”/211-pound Thomas was initially most interested in becoming the starting quarterback with the Sooners. He devoted most of his time to football and in 2014 played only 14 games with the baseball team collecting but one hit in a total of 12 at bats.

Thomas played football exclusively in 2015 but was disappointed that he could not get past the role of backup quarterback, a role he was not satisfied to keep playing.

Following the 2015 football season he changed his focus, and decided to devote all of his time and energy to baseball and abandon his football dream. He reported to the baseball team only to learn that there were nine outfielders in a competition for three starting spots. Several of those players would have had more experience than him but he set out to win a spot.

Thomas very quickly helped head coach, Pete Hughes, with his dilemma by demonstrating some power that might have caused him to surprise himself, and separated him from some of the other outfield contestants.

“He hit five home runs in two and a half weeks,” Hughes said when asked what Thomas did to separate himself. “That’s it. Our next guy had three, our next guy had one, but he just showed up and balls were going over the hill over there. It was really impressive.”

Coach Hughes continued: “He could be a monster,” Hughes said. “He’s committed to this thing. He’s just a presence out there. Every time he swings I think he’s going to hit it out.”

His coach concluded: “For him to hang in there mentally when he was on the bench shows what kind of kid he is,” Hughes said. “He’s super mature and has been around, and he’s a team-first guy.”

Thomas finished his junior year with Oklahoma University with a triple slash of .299/.354/.556 along with 27 runs batted in and six home runs. His production belied the fact that he had been out of the game for two years.

He signed with the Dodgers and began his professional career with the Arizona League Dodgers on June 26, 2016. His stint in the Arizona League lasted all of seven games in which he had 11 hits in 22 at bats.

Thomas hit two home runs in a game for the Ogden Raptors on August 27, 2016.
(Photo courtesy of MiLB.com)

On July 6 Thomas debuted with the Ogden Raptors of the rookie level Pioneer League. He homered in each of his first three games as a Raptor. Although he cooled off in the second half of the season, he posted a triple slash of .276/.360/.576 in 52 games along with 16 home runs that tied him for second most in the league.

Cody Thomas, when he took the baseball field in 2016, knew what he had to do at the plate.

“I think it’s just repetitions,” Thomas said. “I knew I just needed my at-bats, to keep on seeing pitches and filling up my mind with a lot of the different things you see up there at the plate. Just recognizing things earlier and earlier and jumping on it.”

No doubt the 22-year-old Thomas will get his repetitions in 2017, beginning with the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League, and as the season progresses, with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League.