Guardians Manager Has Seen This Key Difference In Lane Thomas

Stephen Vogt believes Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas has found mound success because of his aggressiveness.

Sep 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Lane Thomas (8) hits a two-run home run in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians acquired Lane Thomas at the deadline with the intention that he could provide their outfield position group with a stable bat in the lineup. Thomas is a proven major league hitter who had been red hot leading up to the trade.

Thomas' start to his Guardians tenure did not start off well. However, the 29-year-old has silently reversed the narrative of his season with the Guardians and has been one of Cleveland's best hitters over the last two weeks.

Vogt believes there's two part to Thomas' turnaround, with the key difference being his mindset at the plate.

"I don't really know, it just looks more like him. I think when he was first here, he was a little indecisive. [But] he's on the fastball. He's looking for hits pitches. He's being more aggressive. He's starting to get a lot more confidence, and it just looks cleaner. That's the best way I can describe it."

"They don't care when. They don't care why. They're willing to pitch at any time."

Stephen Vogt praises the bullpen for their performance tonight and talks about how crucial they've been to the Guardians' success this season. #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/zRbJquV0n1

— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) September 11, 2024

Cleveland's manager also noted a few mechanical changes he's observed with Thomas' swings as well.

"He's getting his swings off. He's getting his hips going. His hands are flying. Man, he hits the ball had."

Aug 20, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Lane Thomas (8) reacts after hitting an RBI double during the twelfth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Whatever change Thomas made, he needs to stick with it moving forward.

He's currently hitting .326/.380/.609, including three home runs and 10 RBI over the last 15 games. One of those homers was a three-run shot in the Guardians' win over the Chicago White Sox that essentially put the game out of reach for them.

This is the type of hitter the Guardians had in mind when they traded for Thomas at the deadline. Hopefully, he can keep this hot streak going into the postseason.