Khamaree
Thomas

OF Khamaree Thomas (Kenwood, 2024; Michigan State recruit) is an athletic 5-foot-8, 160-pound spark-plug with above-average speed that translates in-game. A standout at the 2022 PBR Future Games and the past two Illinois State Games, Thomas is one of the top defensive outfielders in Illinois’ senior class. He glides around the outfield with ease, making balls hit to the gap look routine. Sneaky power at the plate, driving the ball to the left-center wall for a ground-rule double.

Michigan State commit. Ranked No. 37 in our recently updated 2024 rankings. Mentioned in our Week 2 Scout Blog for his performance on the mound, the 5-foot-8, 160-pound left-handed hitting outfielder started in center field and batted leadoff. The athletic outfielder went 2-for-3 on the day. The prototypical leadoff hitter saw four pitches in his first at-bat before lining a single to center field. Thomas wasted little time stealing second and later came around to score to set the tone for the game. Thomas is batting .422 to lead the team with 38 hits and has stolen 27 bases with just one caught stealing.

Michigan State commit. Currently ranked No. 27 in the Illinois’ 2024 class. 5-foot-8, 160-pounds, lean, athletic build. Started on the mound and batted leadoff. On the mound, starts slightly off-center facing with a smooth tall and fall delivery and easy actions down the mound. Thomas throws from a high ¾ slot with a short, plunging arm action and three pitch mix. He attacked hitters with a fastball, curveball and changeup combination. The fastball played with a late arm-side run, sat 77-79 mph. The curveball works well off the fastball with a 1/7 shape at 68-69 mph. The changeup held 72-73 mph and played with sinking action. Thomas went four innings with nine strikeouts, five hits allowed and gave up four runs. At the plate, sets up in a tall and open stance, with a short, twitchy left-handed swing, spray approach working the whole field; finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

INF Kenny Perez (De LaSalle) and OF Khamaree Thomas (Kenwood), two members of Team Illinois at the 2022 Future Games caught our eye once again. 

Thomas, a Michigan State commit, continues to look like the prototypical left/left, center field, leadoff type. Despite not being able to show his elite ability to track fly balls since we were indoors, Thomas’ athleticism was still very apparent throughout his defensive round. He played confidently through the ball in rhythm and also showed off some improved arm strength, now reaching up to 88 mph from a crow-hop. The 6.89 runner (6.71 in the past) has athletic, twitchy hands, a knack for the barrel and gets a lot more jump off the bat (T94.5 mph exit velocity) than his 5-foot-8, 160-pound, wiry frame would indicate.

Positional Profile: OF
Body: 5-8, 160-pounds. Lean, wiry, athletic build.
Hit: LHH. Athletic, open setup, fluid toe-tap load with a medium stride, hands load with rhythm and coordination with stride. Sprayed line-drive to all fields; dynamic barrel. Adjusted to the pitch well, used the whole field.
Power: 95 max exit velocity, averaged 85.9 mph. 328’ max distance.
Arm: LH. OF - 88 mph. Easy life out of the hand, compact arm stroke, high 3/4 release with some carry.
Defense: Athletic, confident actions, plays through the ball in rhythm.
Run: 6.89 runner in the 60. 

Thomas, a Michigan State commit, continues to look like the prototypical left/left, center field, leadoff type. Despite not being able to show his elite ability to track fly balls since we were indoors, Thomas’ athleticism was still very apparent throughout his defensive round. He played confidently through the ball in rhythm and also showed off some improved arm strength, now reaching up to 88 mph from a crow-hop. The 6.89 runner (6.71 in the past) has athletic, twitchy hands, a knack for the barrel and gets a lot more jump off the bat (T94.5 mph exit velocity) than his 5-foot-8, 160-pound, wiry frame would indicate.

2022 Future Games participant, OF Khamaree Thomas (Kenwood, 2024), has above-average athleticism and confidence to all parts of his game. Thomas has a simple, short, loose swing that is level through the zone. Thomas sprays hard contact to all fields and gets all kinds of life off the barrel given his 5-foot-8, 155-pound frame. His athleticism also shows up in the outfield with clean footwork and soft aggressive hands.  His arm action is clean and his throws are accurate, online, and have life through the target at 85 mph. Top-of-the-order, center field profile at the next level.

After representing Team Illinois at the PBR Future Games a few weeks ago, OF Khamaree Thomas (Kenwood) continued to prove why he’s a high-follow name in the Illinois’ 2024 class. Thomas kicked his week off with a 6.75 60-yard dash, jumping 33.8 inches on the vertical test as well. His smooth left-handed stroke was on display yet again, easily spraying line drives to all fields during BP. Thomas’ showed his athleticism on multiple occasions during gameplay, including a diving snag in center field and multiple stolen bases throughout the event. A do-it-all type of player that can impact the game in many ways, Thomas remains a top uncommitted prospect in Illinois, regardless of class. 

Positional Profile: OF
Body: 5-8, 155-pounds. Wiry, athletic with sneaky twitch and strength throughout.
Hits: LHH. Open setup, minimal load and stride. Athletic hands, creates leverage for his size. Controls the barrel and lined hard contact to all fields. Finished game play 1-for-4, 2 BB, 2 SB.
Power: 92 max exit velocity, averaged 84.8 MPH. 301' max distance.
Arm: LH. OF-80 mph. Long arm action, high 3/4 slot, shuffles to throw, accurate
Defense: Attacks the baseball, fields within his frame, smooth outfield actions, sure-hands, clean transfer
Run: 6.75 runner in the 60.
Vizual Edge: 74.79 Edge Score

Uncommitted. 5-foot-8. 155-pound, wiry, athletic, left/left outfielder. Played center field and hit in the two-hole. Advanced bat-to-ball skills, athletic hands, stays short and on top of the baseball. Uses the whole field with a line-drive approach. Profiles to stick at the top of an order moving forward. Finished the day 1-for-3 with two RBIs, run scored and a walk. Natural outfield actions, quick first step and above-average closing speed. Arm plays strong from the outfield and could profile in all three spots. Follow left/left outfielder. 

Positional Profile: OF/LHP
Body: 5-8, 150-pounds. Lean, athletic frame.
Hit: LHH. Balanced setup. Athletic look. Smooth load. Lets the ball travel. Simple, efficient swing. Quick hands. Advanced feel for the barrel. Used the whole field.
Power: 93.8 max exit velocity, averaged 82.6 mph. 324’ max distance.
Arm: LH. OF - 85 mph. Short out of the glove. Loose, quick arm action. Over-the-top slot. Ball jumps out of the hand.
Defense: Athletic actions. Confident hands, balanced footwork, good routes to the ball.
Run: 6.71 runner in the 60. Quick runner, light feet and gains ground.

OF Khamaree Thomas is another Kenwood Academy product who, like Flowers, was responsible for one of the top BP rounds of the day. He’s built much differently than Flowers however, listed at an athletic, wiry 5-foot-8, 150 pounds, and he shows athleticism and twitch in all parts of his game. Thomas also showed a polished left-handed swing that profiles as a dynamic top-of-the-order type moving forward. Thomas sees the ball deep into the zone and stays extremely simple and efficient while showing off advanced feel for the barrel and sneaky strength through contact. Thomas sprayed backspin, hard line-drive contact to all fields throughout, doing so with minimal effort. Thomas’ 6.71 time in the 60 led the event and he also registered a max exit velocity of 93.8 mph, a mark that sticks out for his age and size in particular. On top of that, Thomas looked like a true center field-type in the outfield; roaming light on his feet with a quick first step, athletic actions and his arm topped at 85 mph.

Positional Profile: OF
Body: 5-7, 140-pounds.
Hit: LHH. Sets up in a balanced stance, short toe tap trigger, draws hands up and back into load.  Loose and athletic swing with fluid rhythm. Bat travels on a short path through the zone. Flashed plus bat speed for his age with a max bat speed of 70.4 MPH.
Power: 90.67 max exit velocity, averaged 84.41 mph. 282’ max distance.
Arm: LH. OF - 78 mph. Long arm action, works from an over the top window.
Defense: Natural actions in the outfield. Soft hands, footwork is clean and fluid. Plays through the baseball.
Run: 6.92 runner in the 60. Plus runner for his age. 

Positional Profile: OF/LHP
Body: 5-7, 125-pounds. Athletic frame.
Hit: LHH. Balanced setup, smooth load, toe-tap, short stride, easy pre-pitch actions. Fluid swing, bat stays in zone, makes contact out front, line drive approach.
Power: 82 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: LH. OF - 78 mph. Long, loose action, high 3/4 slot.
Defense: Easy outfield action, shows athleticism, plays through the baseball.
Run: 7.15 runner in the 60. 

Positional Profile: OF/LHP
Body: 5-7, 125-pounds. Small frame, lean build.
Defense: Fluid footwork, soft hands, clean exchange,
Arm: LH. OF - 74 mph. Long arm action, H 3/4 slot, throws flashed carry.
Hit: LHH. Balance setup, smooth load, toe tap.  Short uphill swing, gap-to-gap approach, fluid rhythm.
Power: 67 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.61 runner in the 60.