FORT MYERS, Fla. — It seems like every spring at least one player will come from out of nowhere to emerge as the star of Red Sox camp. This year Trayce Thompson has without a doubt earned that crown.
And if he keeps it up, he could potentially earn a lot more than that.
Since signing a minor league deal in mid-February, Thompson has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball. The soon-to-be 34-year-old outfielder led all of MLB with six home runs through his first 12 games entering Wednesday, and he also went 9 for 24 (.375) with eight extra-base hits, nine runs scored, 13 RBI, three stolen bases, a 1.739 OPS and as many walks (7) as strikeouts (7).
With Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida’s availability for Opening Day in question, Thompson has seemingly done everything within his power to make a case for a spot.
It’s been a remarkable rise for Thompson, who has played seven seasons in the majors but who spent all of 2024 in Triple-A. Thompson acknowledged that the past couple of years have been a struggle, but said his spring resurgence hasn’t been a result of any dramatic adjustments.
“I know everyone loves the big sexy ‘I made this drastic change,’ but for me it’s always been little things,” Thompson said. “I’ve had a super volatile major league career, I’ve had some really high highs and as low of lows as anyone in this room. For me it’s about finding consistency and simplifying my swing and my approach.”
Consistency has been hard to come by for Thompson in recent years. In each of the last three seasons since 2022, Thompson has changed teams midseason. In 2022, he went from the San Diego Padres to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2023, his last season in the majors, he went from the Dodgers to the Chicago White Sox, batting .163 over 72 games for the two clubs.
Then last year in Triple-A he moved from the New York Mets’ affiliate to the Chicago Cubs’, hitting 23 home runs but only batting .233 with 120 strikeouts on the year. That move also came right around the same time he and his wife welcomed their second child.
“Last year I didn’t have a good year, the last two years, so I didn’t feel like myself and that’s why I’m super grateful for this opportunity to come in here and help these guys in whatever way I can,” said Thompson, the brother of four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson.
Through all the ups and downs of his career, Thompson has consistently proven capable of hitting the ball hard and driving the ball in the air. His career hard hit percentage (42.8%) and fly ball percentage (27.7%) are both above MLB average, and given his right-handed bat, his game would seem a natural fit for Fenway Park, where hard hit fly balls pulled to left often turn into doubles and home runs where they might be deep flyouts at other parks.
The key for Thompson this spring has been to hone his swing so that he can maximize his strengths, and the results so far have clearly exceeded expectations.
“There’s certain things I do well, it’s just more about giving myself more room for error,” Thompson said. “That’s not as apparent as someone with a brand new giant leg kick or some crazy new stance, but for me it’s about putting myself in a good position to hit on time, and when I do that I know I can do some good things.”
Whether Thompson makes the Opening Day roster remains to be seen and will largely depend on factors outside of his control. But regardless of how the next few weeks play out, Thompson said he feels good about the work he’s put in and is grateful for the opportunity to wear a big league uniform again.
“I’m wearing this uniform right now and I want to help these guys win in whatever role I can,” Thompson said. “But as far as predicting the future, I have two kids so as long as we get through the day and everyone is asleep on time that’s good for me.”