A's 2025 Season in Review: Colby Thomas

Colby Thomas carved out a nice role for himself on the 2025 Athletics squad, and left a great impression heading into next season. He's played a majority of his games in right field (23), but has also seen some time in center (15) with some left field mixed in (9). In 120 in his first taste of the big leagues, he hit .225 with 27 hits, 6 home runs and 19 RBI.

He was selected in the 2022 MLB Draft by the Athletics in the third round and attended Mercer College. He's always used his playing experiences as a chance to grow as a ballplayer, demonstrated by his amateur career. A Georgia native, he chose to attend Mercer after being selected in the 37th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles.

He wanted to hone his skills and focus on "playing his game" which paid off tremendously. He used the time to gain experience, which he said he was very grateful for. Soon, scouts were attending his games and taking notice of his potential.

His improved development made him a top prospect for the Draft, and moved him to the third round, where he'd be selected by the A's.

In over 300 at-bats at the Triple-A level in 2025, he produced a .291 average with 97 hits, 18 home runs and 74 RBI. He'd make his MLB debut with the A's on June 30, 2025 against the Tampa Bay Rays in, ironically enough, another minor league ballpark at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

He became a spark of the A's offense in their hot month of August, beginning with the road trip they took to the nation's capital to take on the Nationals. He's also shown tremendous defense at times, including this incredible throw home to the plate he made in Tampa making his MLB debut.

Mark Kotsay mentioned his offensive improvements on the Washington road trip, including opening his stance up as well as some minor changes to his swing that helped him build his confidence and get going offensively. One of the more memorable home runs came of the season came against the Detroit Tigers on August 25th, when tagged a home run off ace Tarik Skubal.

The Athletics manager was also impressed with his openness to change, which not always easy to find these days. “You don’t get that all the time from young hitters, especially those who have had success in Triple-A, which Colby has." He added that the "the results are starting to show" and that will only build more confidence in the young hitter.

It remains to be seen what the A's outfield will end up looking like next year, but Colby has shown he's willing to put the work in to becoming a successful Major League hitter, and has fit in nicely with the young group of A's players who have made an impact on this team in 2025.

Athletics on SI asked Colby earlier this year what it means to him to be contributing here, and he simply commented, "It's a great feeling, as a young player, to make an impact and it is a huge confidence boost." The hope is that Thomas continues making strides and will be a part of this group in Sacramento next year.