Arizona Diamondbacks Demote Former Top Prospect

He was the Arizona Diamondbacks' top propsect as recently as the beginning of 2022, and came up last season with all sorts of fanfare. But after nearly a full season in the big leagues now (152 games), Alek Thomas hasn't quite yet lived up to the hype, and now has been sent back down to the minors by the Snakes.

Thomas becomes the second of the D-Backs' three-man starting outfield at the outset of this season to be sent back to Triple-A, joining Jake McCarthy who was optioned earlier this season.

If someone told me Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas would be in AAA in mid May and the DBacks would still be above .500 at the start of the year I wouldn’t have believed them

— JD (@StromsLab) May 17, 2023

Thomas was hitting just .195 this season with an OPS+ of 59. In more than 530 career plate appearances between 2022 and 2023, he's amassed a meager .223/.270/.340 slash line (72 OPS+) with 10 home runs and seven stolen bases. 

It was his struggles against lefties that really did him in this year, as the left-handed batter hit just .028 (1-for-36) against southpaws.

The D-Backs will continue to roll with rookie Dominic Fletcher (their No. 15 prospect heading into the season) in the outfield, along with the high-performing Corbin Carroll and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Photo: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports