Selected in the first round (No. 26 overall) of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers out of McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile, Alabama... full name is Leslie Arnold Thompson... was named the Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) Player of the Year and was a First Team All-State selection… rated by Baseball America as the top prospect from Alabama, the 8th-best outfielder, and the 25th-best prospect overall… hit .429 with 11 HR, 35 RBIs and 18 SB, while posting an .857 SLG as a senior at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile, Ala… led the Yellow Jackets to a 2015 Class 7A state title on the gridiron and had scholarship offers from SEC schools… had committed to the University of Alabama for baseball… chosen as the best high school athlete in the draft by Perfect Game… was one of four amateur players to attend the 2017 MLB Draft at MLB Network’s Studio 42... was leading all Triple-A players in stolen bases (49) with Round Rock when he was promoted to Texas on Aug. 4, 2022 to make his Major League debut.
2024
Claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees on Jan. 4, 2024 after the Cincinnati Reds designated him for assignment shortly after Christmas
2023
Saw time at two levels across two organizations, hitting .259 in 65 Minor League games and .170 in 37 games with Texas... appeared in 32 games with Triple-A Round Rock... Rangers designated him for assignment on Aug. 11, 2023 and he was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 13... only saw time at Triple-A Omaha, where he hit .259 in 33 games... he was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds on Oct. 26 before getting DFA'd a second time on Dec. 28.
2022
Made his MLB debut, batting .265 (45-170) with one home run, five doubles and nine RBI over 55 games with the Rangers… recalled from Round Rock (AAA) on 8/4...his 18 stolen bases were third-most on club (25-García/Semien, 18-Thompson) and the most by a Texas rookie since Delino DeShields in 2015 (25)...went 18-for-21 (85.7%) in steal attempts, the 4th-highest stolen base pct. in the A.L. (min. 20 attempts) to CLE’s Myles Straw (95.5) and Andres Gimenez (87.0), and HOU’s Kyle Tucker (86.2)...marked the highest SB pct. ever by a Rangers rookie with at least 20 steal attempts, surpassing previous high mark of 84.6% (33-for-39) by Elvis Andrus in 2009...18 steals were T15th-most in A.L. and tied with ARI’s Jake McCarthy for the most in MLB from the time of Thompson’s debut (8/4) to the end of the season...went 10-for-10 in steal attempts to begin his career…according to Statcast, his average sprint speed of 30.4 feet per second was T2nd-fastest in the Majors to ARI’s Corbin Carroll (30.7)...Slashed .298/.348/.365/.714 (31-104) with one HR, four 2B, eight RBI and 13 SB over his first 33 G, but hit just .212 (14-66) with one 2B, one RBI, and five SB over his last 22 G...39 of his 45 hits were singles, 25 of which were bunt (7, T4th in A.L.) or infield (18) hits...hit his first career home run on 8/30 vs. HOU off LHP Framber Valdez, registering a career-high 107.8 mph exit velocity (Statcast)...totaled career-high 3 hits (all singles) on 9/3 at BOS…saw starts at all three outfield positions (32-LF, 10-RF, 9-CF) and recorded a .990 fielding pct., committing just one error in 97 chances.
MINORS IN 2022: Was named Triple-A Round Rock’s 2022 Most Valuable Player after batting .304/.355/.474/.829 (105-346) with 13 HR, 12 2B, four 3B and 48 RBI over 80 G...was 49-for-52 (94.2%) in SB attempts, finishing second in the Pacific Coast League in steals...49 stolen bases set a franchise record (Triple-A only), surpassing mark set by Esteban German in 2011 (44)...at time of promotion on 8/4, Thompson ranked among PCL leaders in R (T2nd, 77), H (T4th, 105), BA (6th), and TB (9th, 164)...named a Triple-A postseason All-Star by Baseball America…missed three games after he was struck in the face by a fly ball in the outfield on 4/23 vs. Albuquerque.
2021
Set career-highs in most categories with Double-A Frisco, slashing .275/.325/.483/.808 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI over 104 games…ranked among Double-A Central leaders in triples (1st, 9), total bases (2nd, 207), hits (T2nd, 118), runs (T4th, 73), doubles (T5th, 23), stolen bases (7th, 25), and SLG (10th, .483)...selected as a Double-A Central All-Star...hit .297 (30-101) with 14 XBH over his final 24 G beginning 8/22...was selected as a co-winner of the 2021 True Ranger Award, which was established in 2019 and highlights players who represent the core values of the organization in a positive light both on and off the field… tabbed as the Rangers’ no. 27 prospect by Baseball America…was a non-roster invitee to Major League spring training for the first time.
2020
Did not see official game action after the minor league season was canceled due to the pandemic…went 1-for-2 with a single as a pinch-hitter in two Spring Training ‘A’ games prior to the COVID-19 shutdown…was added to Texas’ 60-man player pool roster on 8/31 after he was not selected to the initial Summer Camp roster in July…participated in Alternate Training Site workouts and scrimmages at Globe Life Park and Globe Life Field from that point until the end of the regular season (9/27)…in October, joined a contingent of Rangers’ prospects at Fall Developmental League in Arizona…slashed .190/.327/.429/.755 (16-84) with a camp-high 13 stolen bases…also ranked among club leaders in HBP (1st, 5), HR (T1st, 4), RBI (2nd, 14) and walks (T3rd, 13).
2019
Limited to 57 G with Down East due to pair of injured list stints: 4/17-6/12 (fractured hamate bone in left hand) and 6/22-7/13 (ankle injury)…batted .281 (18-64) in 1st 17 G following return from 2nd IL stint, but batted .134 (11-82) in final 24 G…had just one plate appearance against a pitcher younger than himself…recorded his 1st career multi-HR game on 8/27 vs. Frederick (2 HR)…batted .254 (18-71) with three HR and nine RBI in 21 G with the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League, and was named to the AFL Fall Stars Game...rated at the start of the season as the 48th-best prospect in baseball by Baseball Prospectus and the organization’s 9th-best prospect, “Fastest Baserunner” and “Best Athlete” according to Baseball America.
2018
Fell 15 PA shy of qualifying for a batting title in the South Atlantic League, but posted the 6th-highest average among players in the league with at least 350 PA...finished with the 3rd-most SB in the SAL...began the season in extended spring training and joined Hickory on 5/9...batted .240/.307/.408/.715 in 1st 32 G with the Crawdads and .319/.367/.469/.836 over final 52 games...following the season, was tabbed the 5th-best prospect in the SAL by Baseball America and was named a Texas Organization All-Star by MiLB.com.
2017
Batted .257/.317/.434/.751 (29-113) with the AZL Rangers in his professional debut...tabbed as 6th-best prospect in the Arizona League by Baseball America.
