Valdosta native Colby Thomas, a Mercer baseball standout, was selected by the Oakland A’s in the 3rd round of the MLB draft, making him the 95th pick overall.

From MLB.com

“Thomas didn’t waste any time showing off his power and speed at Mercer. The Valdosta, Ga., native led Mercer with nine doubles, five home runs, 23 hits and 18 RBIs during his freshman season in 2020. As a junior, before undergoing surgery on the labrum in his right shoulder, Thomas was chasing the NCAA Division I home run lead. He ended the 2022 season with 17 home runs, 45 RBIs and 11 stolen bases on 11 attempts. Ranked as the No. 95 prospect heading into the Draft, Thomas is believed to have the quickness and instincts to play center field, though he hasn’t had that chance just yet.

Fun fact: Thomas was originally drafted out of Valdosta High School by the Baltimore Orioles in the 37th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He committed to Florida as a transfer in June 2022.

Quotable: “What really distinguished Colby was his exit velos. His max exit velos are elite, and that kind of had him stand out above the crowd. It wasn’t just the number of homers, it was the secondary metrics in a lot of cases.” — A’s scouting director Eric Kubota“