WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2017 star Alek Thomas celebrated his first Major League Baseball (MLB) home run on 11 May. Thomas was playing center fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks in his fourth MLB appearance and homered off the Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara in the third inning.
Alcantara didn't allow another run in seven innings of work, and the Marlins went on to win, 11-3.
Thomas impressed as a 17-year-old at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2017 in Thunder Bay, Canada, helping USA win the world title. He started every game at left field, collecting at least one hit in every game, including a pair of singles in the final against Korea.
The left-handed contact hitter went 13-for-36, .361 batting average, with eight runs batted in (RBIs). He was one of the outfielders named to the WBSC U-18 All-World Team.
The WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup has consistently featured players who have gone on to become some of the biggest names in the sport
The Diamondbacks drafted Thomas out of Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, Illinois, in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Thomas has dominated at all minor league levels. After appearing in 106 games in the 2021 season, 72 at Double-A and 34 at Triple-A, he started the 2022 season at Triple-A and received the call to the MLB club on 8 May.
He got his first MLB base hit on the same day and is currently hitting 5-for-13, .385 batting average with three RBIs.
The next U-18 Baseball World Cup, the 30th edition, will be held in the U.S. from 9-18 September in Sarasota and Bradenton, Florida.
