It took time, but Game 1 star found his lane with Guardians

CLEVELAND – Even José Ramírez needed a quick reminder who Lane Thomas was.

It was the eve of Trade Deadline Day and the first-place Guardians made their first splash by trading for Thomas. Ramírez met with local media to talk about his performance against Detroit that day when he was asked about the team's new outfielder. But the news had broken while he was on the field. He didn’t know the Guardians traded for anyone. When he was told it was Thomas, he paused, trying to remember which team he was from.

“The Nationals,” he was reminded.

“Ah, yes. Good player,” Ramírez said in English.

That was the general response most people had to the deal. It was more of a shoulder-shrug -- “Sure, that works” -- kind of a move. One where you think he could help here and there, but not the only one a team with a clear path to the playoffs would make.

And it’s no slight to Thomas. It just simply wasn’t the headline-making, blockbuster, A-lister type of trade that would cause the entire baseball world to believe the Guardians would now run away with the season. Surely, they’d do something else, right?

Wrong.

Thomas was it when it came to the offense. He was the same type of high-contact guy that the Guardians have coveted in their organization for years now. His success against lefties was intriguing. His ability to tap into power would be icing on the cake. He seemed like someone who perfectly embodied the Guards Ball style of play. Cleveland knew this would be the right match. It just took a little longer than anticipated to prove it.

In his first 25 games with the Guardians, Thomas hit just .145 with a .430 OPS. Prior to the trade, he had been back in action for merely a month after spraining his left knee earlier in the season. From trying to get his feet back under him to getting acclimated to a new environment to experiencing a hefty slump for a club that traded for you to improve its offense, the weight of the world was on Thomas’ shoulders.

“I [didn't] want to mess up the thing they got going,” Thomas said. “I try to get to know everybody, be a good clubhouse guy and just kind of fill the role or whatever I was going to [play]. That was my thought process coming in.”

The more comfortable Thomas got with his new team, the hotter his bat got. In the first two weeks of September -- a period when the Guardians were flirting with losing their division lead -- the center fielder made it clear why he was more than just an average acquisition. During that period, Thomas hit .367 with a 1.115 OPS and four homers, proving that his power potential may be a weapon for the Guardians in the future.

“Lane Thomas is a phenomenal player,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “He has been in this league for a long time. Took him a little while to get his feet wet with us and get comfortable, but once he did, he's been great.”

It wasn’t until the Guardians' 7-0 win over the Tigers in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday that it was clear this midseason addition was making the impact the organization hoped for.

The Guardians got off to a hot start. Steven Kwan led off the game with a double. David Fry drew a walk. Ramírez reached on an error as a run scored. Josh Naylor singled in another run -- all without an out being made. That brought Thomas to the plate.

Thomas remembered sitting on the sidelines, injured, in 2019, watching his Cardinals teammates play in the postseason. He took mental notes of what it would be like when he’d one day get his chance to play. He was ready to capitalize on this opportunity. All he needed was one pitch.

The first ball that came out of Tigers reliever Reese Olson’s hand was sent into the left-field bleachers to give the Guardians an early 5-0 lead. Progressive Field erupted, and Thomas roared as he rounded first base.

“It was electric,” Thomas said. “I think it was everything I had thought and more.”

No one owns a crystal ball. There was no way to know in July whether this move would truly make an impact or not. But the Guardians know the type of hitter they like, and Thomas fit the bill. Clearly, it’s paid off.

“We knew he was going to be a good player,” Ramírez said through interpreter Agustin Rivero. “That’s why we traded for him.”