Tahnaj Thomas

Tahnaj A'Kheel Thomas

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 215 lb.

• High School The Leadership Academy

• Born June 16, 1999 in Freeport Bahamas

BR register page

Biographical Information

Tahnaj Thomas has pitched in the minors and for the Great Britain national team.

He was signed by Cleveland Indians scout Koby Pérez. He split 2017 between the DSL Indians (0-2, 3.38 in 3 G) and AZL Indians (0-3, 6.00 in 13 G, 25 BB in 33 IP). He did join with Dylan Baker, Dace Kime and Maiker Manzanillo in a no-hitter against the AZL Mariners. He had a 4.58 ERA and no decisions in eight games for the 2018 AZL Indians 1. He was then dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates with Erik González and Dante Mendoza for Jordan Luplow and Max Moroff.

Thomas was 2-3 with a 3.17 ERA for the 2019 Bristol Pirates, striking out 59 in 48 2/3 IP and showing sharper control (14 BB). He tied Cody Laweryson and Malcolm Van Buren for 7th in the Appalachian League in strikeouts. Baseball America ranked him as Pittsburgh's #5 prospect entering 2020 and as possessing the best fastball in their system. They also ranked him as the #19 prospect in the Appy League, between Adrian Alcantara and Jose Salvador. The 2020 minor league season was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also missed out on a chance to play for Britain in the 2020 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers as he was on their roster before those were canceled.

He was 3-3 with a 5.19 ERA for the 2021 Greensboro Grasshoppers, missing a good chunk of the season. Moving to relief in 2022, he rebounded to go 5-4 with three saves and a 3.02 ERA in 37 games for the Altoona Curve, striking out 52 in 50 2/3 IP.

The Freeport native was then one of five players from the Bahamas on the Great Britain team for the 2022 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, alongside D'Shawn Knowles, Anfernee Seymour, Chavez Fernander and Ural Forbes. The Bahamas had helped supply the British team in other WBC Qualifiers, with players like Antoan Richardson and Jazz Chisholm among others. He debuted against Germany, closing out a 8-1 win. Relieving Fernander, he walked Demetrius Moorer and Vincent Ahrens then hit Aaron Altherr but dug out of the hole when William Germaine lined into a double play and Daniel Aldrich went down swinging. In the contest with Spain, with the winner advancing to the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he relieved Donovan Benoit in the 10th with a 9-9 tie. Under the WBC extra-inning rules, Spain started with a runner on second. Edison Valerio lay down a bunt then Leopoldo Correa grounded out. Thomas walked Gabriel Lino but got Oscar Angulo to line out. He then got the historic win for Britain when they scored in the bottom of the frame. He tied Benoit, Michael Petersen and Vance Worley for the team lead in games pitched. While he did not allow a hit, he tied for third in the Regensburg qualifier in walks allowed, behind only Daniel Padyšák and Justin Erasmus.

When he and Chavez Young were with the Pirates for spring training, it was unusual in that they had grown up only a few houses away from each other.