Connor Thomas #57

Graduated from Tift County (Ga.) High School...Played college baseball at Georgia Tech where he was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference First Team honoree...Is the highest Cardinals draft pick from Georgia Tech since shortstop Tyler Greene in the first round (30th overall) in 2005...His first college pitching appearance was at a Major League Baseball stadium coming on in relief at Truist Park against Georgia (5/9/2017) before making a game appearance at Russ Chandler Stadium (Georgia Tech's home ballpark)...Set the Georgia Tech school record with 1.55 walks/9 IP over his career (220.1 IP) and ranked 40th in NCAA Division I during his junior year...Did not walk more than two batters in any of his 16 starts in 2019...Became the first Georgia Tech left-handed pitcher since Buck Farmer to post back-to-back 100 strikeout seasons...National Pitcher of the Week for Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game/Rawlings (4/30/2018)...Led the ACC in shutouts (two) and ranked fourth in strikeouts and fifth in ERA during his junior season in 2019...Resides in Flowery Beach, Georgia with his wife Brett and their daughters Blakely (2/20/19) and Sydney (6/15/22).

2023

Was rated as the No. 19 prospect in the Cardinals organization by Baseball America...Made three Major League Spring Training appearances for the second consecutive season...Went 0-0 with a 4.00 ERA (9.0 IP/4 ER) with eight strikeouts, one walk and one hit batter in his three starts...Finished the season ranked among Memphis pitchers in innings pitched (94.1, second), wins (five, T-second), games started (17, third) and strikeouts (69, T-seventh)...Won four straight starts with Memphis from 4/14-5/2 with a 3.20 ERA (25.1 IP/9 ER) in that span...Walked one batter in each of his first four starts of the season and allowed two walks or fewer in 18 of his 21 appearances including 15 of his 17 starts...Was on the seven-day injured list from 6/6-8/10 with left shoulder inflammation...Recorded his only save of the season on 8/16 vs. Norfolk when he pitched the final 4.0 innings of a 10-0 victory.

2022

Pitched the entire season in Memphis (AAA), posting career-high marks in appearances (28), starts (25) and innings pitched (135.0). Tied his career-high with six wins. ..Ranked among International League pitchers in ground out/ fly out ratio (1.79, 3rd), ground into double plays induced (16, 5th), games started (25, T-4th), innings pitched (135.0, 6th) and losses (12, 2nd). ..Threw a 7.0-inning four-hit shutout with nine strikeouts vs. Indianapolis (8/11) in the second game of a doubleheader. Was his third career complete game since the start of the 2021 season. ..Struck out out a season-high 11 batters over 6.0 innings at Norfolk (5/14). ..Held his opposition to two runs or fewer in 11-of-25 starts. ..Induced multiple double plays in five starts with a seasonhigh three in his final start of the season vs. Gwinnett (9/25). ..Eclipsed the 100-pitch mark only three times this season (at Charlotte 6/1, vs. Indianapolis 8/11 & Gwinnett 9/25). ..Named Arizona Fall League Pitcher of the Year, first Cardinal since Alan Benes won the award in 1995. ..Struck out 10 batters, tying for the 2022 single-game league high, in his Arizona Fall League opener (10/15) at Chase Field; was the first pitcher to fan double-digit batters in an AFL game since 2014. ..Led the Arizona Fall League in strikeouts (34) and ground outs/air out ratio (3.30); ranked among the leaders in ERA (1.75, 5th), innings pitched (25.2, 2nd), games started (6, T-2nd), WHIP (1.05, 10th) and ground into double play induced (3, T3rd).

2021

Established a career-high with 26 appearances and 18 starts between Springfield (AA) and Memphis (AAA)... Ranked 2nd among Cardinals minor league pitchers with 122.0 innings pitched. Also finished in the Top 10 in games started (18, T-9th), wins (6, T-6th) and strikeouts (116, 4th)... Tied for the Triple-A East Lead with two complete games, both six inning efforts (at Norfolk 8/15; at Gwinnett 9/4)... Recorded a two-inning save vs. Norfolk (7/16)... Began the season in Springfield, made four starts, and was promoted to Memphis on 5/25 where he spent the remainder of the season... Struck out a career-high 11 over 6.1 innings at Jacksonville (9/23) in a no-decision... Compiled a streak of 18.0 consecutive scoreless innings from 6/29-7/20... Finished the season strong with a 1.48 ERA in September, amassing 30.1 innings pitched.