Thomas Dillard
| Thomas Dillard | |
|---|---|
| Cleburne Railroaders – No. 10 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: August 28, 1997 Greenwood, Mississippi | |
Bats: Switch Throws: Right |
Thomas Dillard (born August 28, 1997) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Cleburne Railroaders of the American Association of Professional Baseball.
Amateur career[edit]
Dillard began his high school career at Briarcrest Christian School in Eads, Tennessee, before transferring to Oxford High School in Oxford, Mississippi as a senior, where he was teammates with Grae Kessinger.[1] In the summer of 2015, he played in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game at Wrigley Field.[2] He earned All-USA honors as a senior after batting .438 with 16 home runs.[3][4] He committed to play college baseball at the University of Mississippi for the Ole Miss Rebels.[5][6] Unselected in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, he enrolled at Ole Miss.[7]
In 2017, as a freshman at Ole Miss, Dillard appeared in 48 games (making 45 starts) in which he hit .206 with four home runs, eight doubles, and 12 RBIs.[8] As a sophomore, he started 65 games in left field without making an error and batted .310 and led the Rebels with 13 home runs, 59 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases.[9] In 2017 and 2018, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[10][11] In 2019, his junior year, he returned to catching, started 68 games, and hit .310 with 14 home runs, 61 RBIs, and set an Ole Miss single-season record with 61 walks.[12] Following the season's end, he was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[13] He signed for $397,500.[14]
Professional career[edit]
Milwaukee Brewers[edit]
Dillard made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Arizona League Brewers and was promoted to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Single–A Midwest League after four games.[15] Over 55 games between the two clubs, he hit .249 with seven home runs, 28 RBIs, and eight stolen bases.[16] He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[17]
To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned back to Wisconsin, now members of the High-A Central, and was promoted to the Biloxi Shuckers of the Double-A South in early August.[18] Over 105 games between the two clubs, Dillard slashed .247/.365/.444 with 18 home runs and 75 RBIs.[19] He returned to Biloxi for the 2022 season.[20] Over 121 games, he compiled a .233/.364/.391 slash line with 12 home runs, 67 RBIs, 29 doubles, and 14 stolen bases.[21] He was released on by the Brewers organization on December 16, 2022.[21]
Lexington Counter Clocks[edit]
On April 28, 2023, Dillard signed with the Lexington Counter Clocks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[22] In 125 games for Lexington, Dillard hit .258/.398/.590 with 39 home runs, 100 RBI, and 8 stolen bases.
On December 21, 2023, Dillard signed with the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League.[23] However, he failed to make the Opening Day roster and was released prior to the season on April 6, 2024.[24]
Cleburne Railroaders[edit]
On April 11, 2024, Dillard signed with the Cleburne Railroaders of the American Association of Professional Baseball.[25]
References[edit]
- ^ "MLB draft prospect Thomas Dillard on a tear for Oxford".
- ^ "Mississippi rising in baseball circles for high school stars, prospects". August 18, 2015.
- ^ "Ole Miss signees Dillard, Barber earn All-USA honors".
- ^ "ALL-USA Baseball First Team: Thomas Dillard, Oxford (Miss.)". June 15, 2016.
- ^ "College or pro? Oxford draft prospects Kessinger, Dillard face decisions about future". June 8, 2016.
- ^ "Thomas Dillard, Grae Kessinger choosing between Ole Miss, draft".
- ^ "Oxford's Kessinger drafted, going to Ole Miss". June 12, 2016.
- ^ "Mississippi's Thomas Dillard has switch-hitting power, but he isn't planning to use it in home run derby".
- ^ "Oxford native Thomas Dillard to compete in College Home Run Derby". June 21, 2018.
- ^ "#16 Thomas Dillard - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ "Thomas Dillard - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ "Thomas Dillard, catcher? It could happen | Ole-miss | djournal.com".
- ^ "Ole Miss' Thomas Dillard and Will Ethridge taken in fifth round of MLB Draft". June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Thomas Dillard, Zack Phillips to leave Ole Miss". June 12, 2019.
- ^ "Brewers promote Thomas Dillard to single-A Wisconsin". July 10, 2019.
- ^ "Freak injury may have been blessing for Rattlers' Dillard".
- ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Canceled".
- ^ "Former Ole Miss star Thomas Dillard promoted to Shuckers".
- ^ "Wiemer, Small offer reasons for Brewers' cheers".
- ^ "2022 Biloxi Shuckers Initial Roster Announced".
- ^ a b "Thomas Dillard Stats, Fantasy & News". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ https://www.atlanticleague.com/stats/transactions/
- ^ "LMB: Movimientos en listas de reserva - 21 de diciembre de 2023". milb.com. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ^ @ClubSaraperos (April 6, 2024). "📜 Comunicado de movimientos en pretemporada de Saraperos de Saltillo 🐉" (Tweet) (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 April 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "2024 Transactions". aabaseball.com. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
External links[edit]
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)