| Player: Tommy Farmer | |||||||||||
| School: UC Irvine | Position(s): OF | ||||||||||
| Height: 6’3″ | Weight: 210 lbs. | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | ||||||||
| Summary: Tommy Farmer presents as a ML-looking outfielder. Not only does he have size, but the definition really pops out through his Anteaters uniform. The former Texas Longhorn grinded his way to a starting position in his sophomore year at the University of Texas and now has earned the everyday center field spot in his Junior year at his new destination, UC Irvine. A Santa Monica native, Farmer has had success dating back to his High School days at the athletic powerhouse of Oaks Christian High School, where he helped lead the Lions to a CIF Division III Championship and also competed as a water polo athlete for two seasons. When Farmer trots out to his position, you’ll probably notice the lower half of a power running back, and it all starts to make sense when you learn that his father, Thomas Farmer III, played football for the University of Tennessee in his day. Tommy demonstrates an ability to cover ground and read balls off the bat exceptionally well. He is balanced and confident in his routes to deep fly balls and balls in the gap and shows no fear going horizontal or ranging back to the outfield wall to snag anything in his territory. I had Farmer clocked at a sub-4.0 home to first on a routine chopper, which is evidence of his plus speed on the basepaths. However, he doesn’t have the freakish first step to balls in play that you might assume him to have. This fact was proven on a fielding blunder when backing up a misplayed base hit turned three-bagger on a liner in the gap, which Tommy slipped while fielding, but got the ball in quickly. He handles the responsibility of center field well and can be a trusted outpost there; there is only one thing that may have him return to a corner outfield position. While pre-college recordings had him at a 94 velo from the outfield, I noticed a short arm path and slight loft on his throws for a center fielder. In 48 starts his last year at Texas, he recorded just one outfield assist. This stat may not tell the whole story, but it’s something to examine going forward. I don’t believe his arm to necessarily be a weapon, but with no problems hitting his target it isn’t a liability by any stretch. At the plate, Farmer chooses a wide base and minimal load with no wasted movement, which I like. Tommy has quiet but quick hands to the ball and a level swing plane, looking to connect early. He’s not looking to supply huge amounts of slug but rather to find a barrel, drive runners in, and get on base and use his legs. I saw signs of improvement in his plate discipline from previous years. Now a Junior, he seems to know the zone well and doesn’t flinch at off-speed being thrown to him. While he has displayed swing and miss in his collegiate career, he doesn’t seem far off-balance on his swings. The righty will tend to be pull-happy on his misses, but his takes are encouraging as you can tell he’s tracking every pitch to swing at until it’s out of the zone (even ones that end up hitting him), and manages to stay balanced. While he may not be trying to do damage on every swing, his physicality plays when he makes contact. With a home run, 2 doubles, and 2 triples already in the 2026 season, it’s exciting when Tommy barrels the ball up and finds a gap. If he can continue to minimize the swing and miss, he may run into more slug ability, though that doesn’t seem to be a part of his natural approach as a hitter. It’s evident that Tommy Farmer is an impressive athlete and could definitely prove to be helpful to any organization that values speed, defense, and hustle in its lineup. A thorough defender with range who is looking to make contact and runs very well should always be a commodity in this game. The body is impressive with much athleticism to match; Farmer should begin to draw more and more attention from suitors in this MLB draft. | |||||||||||
Discover more from THREE QUARTER SLOT
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.