CHICAGO — A native of Chicago is going to get his chance to take part in the “Fall Classic” for the first time in his career.

It comes as Alek Thomas is concluding his second season in Major League Baseball, and has had a few moments during the National League Playoffs.

The Chicago native and former Mount Carmel High School Star helped the Diamondbacks to the National League pennant as they defeated the Phillies in seven games in the league championship series.

Thomas has taken part in all 12 games for the Diamondbacks this postseason, getting an at-bat as a pinch hitter in the 4-2 win over Philadelphia in the deciding Game 7 at Citizen’s Bank Park. It helped Arizona clinch their first National League pennant since 2001.

Many will remember the outfielder playing a big part in making that happen thanks to his effort in Game 4 at Chase Field in Phoenix. With two outs in the eighth inning and the Diamondbacks trailing the Phillies 5-3, Thomas hit a game-tying two-run homer off Craig Kimbrel.

Arizona would get another run across to capture a 6-5 win to tie the series.

That’s one of four homers that Thomas would hit during the National League playoffs, slugging another in Game 5 of the NLCS along with one in the Wild Card round against the Brewers and division series against the Dodgers.

Thomas was a standout at Mount Carmel High School who had committed to play not only baseball but football at TCU. But after the Diamondbacks selected him in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft, he made professional baseball his sole focus.

The outfielder would play that year along with 2019 in the minors and resumed his time in the Arizona system after the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season due to the pandemic.

On May 8, 2022, Thomas made his major league debut for the Diamondback against the Rockies, collecting his first major league hit on a double. That was the subject of the “Random Hawlight” that week on WGN News Now.

He hit .231/.275/.344 with 17 doubles, a triple, eight homers and 39 RBI in 113 games, with all but one in center field where he had a .991 fielding percentage.

Thomas posted similar numbers in 118 games, hitting .230/.273/.374 with 17 doubles, five triples, nine homers and 39 RBI with a .993 fielding percentage in center field.