Isaiah Thomas announces departure from Vanderbilt baseball team amidst mental health conflict

Senior outfielder Isaiah Thomas, a projected MLB top-100 prospect in the upcoming draft, announced on Instagram Monday that he is leaving the Vanderbilt baseball team after three seasons.

Thomas cited mental health conflicts as a reason for his depature.

“I committed to Vanderbilt as a bright-eyed sophomore [in high school] back in 2015, nearly seven years later and I’m happy to announce I will be stepping away from my last year in the program,” Thomas’ Instagram post says. “After years of relationships, they choose their beliefs over the wellbeing of mental health and took advantage of that sensitive aspect in my life. That is all there is to share publicly at the moment. My teammates, this is not about you, it’s for me.”

In a since-deleted post, Thomas shared a picture of himself on his Instagram story that read, “I’m a free man. Catch me if you can Vandy.”

It remains unclear what prompted Thomas’ depature from the program; however, it appears as though he will continue playing baseball. In a comment on the Instagram post, Thomas said “I’m not done with baseball, just done with @VandyBoys.”

Thomas, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound righty from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, has had a major impact on the Vanderbilt baseball program since his arrival on campus in 2019. He only appeared in 21 games, making six starts as a freshman, but his .368 batting average was enough to propel Thomas into the starting lineup his sophomore year.

Thomas in 2020 was named the 26th-best prospect in the SEC by D1 Baseball ahead of the 2021 MLB Draft. He tied for the team lead with 13 runs batted in and held the team lead with four home runs in 18 games played — the season shortened due to COVID-19.

This past season, Thomas had a solid year as he assumed the everyday starting role, making 57 starts in 59 games. His 13 home runs were third-best among Vanderbilt players, and his .583 slugging percentage was second-best in the program and tenth-best in the SEC. Thomas’ power took another step towards the end of the season; he launched two home runs in Vanderbilt’s May 15 win over Ole Miss, and he hit perhaps the biggest hit of his career on June 6: Vanderbilt, in the top of the 11th inning, was stuck in an 9-9 tie with Georgia Tech in the Nashville regional. Thomas stepped up to the plate and launched a game-winning grand slam over the left field fence, capping off a three-hit performance and giving Vanderbilt a 13-9 win. With the victory, Thomas and Vanderbilt advanced to the Nashville super regional.

Thomas was a part of Vanderbilt’s 2019 national championship-winning run, though he wasn’t as big a factor down the stretch his freshman season. This past year, when Vanderbilt lost to Mississippi State in the national championship, Thomas was a mainstay in the heart of Vanderbilt’s lineup.