Jim Thome brings his legendary hitting prowess to MLB Network

When Jim Thome talks hitting, people tend to pay attention. One look at his stats and you know he has instant credibility. Few players can put up a Hall of Fame-caliber .276/.402/.554 slash line, with 612 home runs over 22 years in the majors.

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On top of that, Thome’s gregarious personality makes him the perfect storyteller. Someone who can entertain and educate an audience at the same time.

If those traits make you think: Hey, this guy would make for one heck of a broadcaster, you aren’t alone. Thome will get an opportunity to share his thoughts on all things hitting as the newest analyst at MLB Network. The 22-year MLB veteran will make his official debut as an analyst May 1 on “MLB Tonight.”

It won’t be the first time Thome has been on the network, though. Thome made a guest appearance breaking down hitting mechanics with former teammate Sean Casey in February. That experience played a pivotal role in convincing Thome to make the transition to television.

“Going there two months ago and going into Studio 42 and talking hitting with Sean Casey and getting an opportunity just to be around it for a couple days, I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I had a really good time,’ ” Thome says.

“I got an opportunity to come aboard, and to me it was pretty special. To give back a little knowledge, and be around a lot of analysts who know what’s going on and really have a great insight to the game … it’s a really cool thing. I’ll be honest, I was very excited.”

Fans ought to be as well. Thome’s on-field numbers speak for themselves. He was one of his era’s finest power hitters, but also displayed tremendous patience at the plate. While that approach worked for him, Thome believes it’s best for hitters to “know thyself.”

Thome credits a strong work ethic and a routine-oriented approach for his success on a daily basis. He would get himself into a pattern before each game, only making changes when certain pitchers were on the mound. Thome didn’t feel the need to copy what other players did, because he believes all hitters are different.

But as an analyst, he’ll be responsible for breaking down guys with different approaches. While Thome admits he didn’t watch a lot of tape of himself when he played, he’s looking forward to breaking down others on video.

“You can break down the fundamental aspects [of a swing],” Thome says. “Where is your base? Do you have a leg kick? Where are your hands? There are many things that I think in this job that I’ll be able to sit and watch on film. And I wasn’t a big film guy, but I do watch hitters. I would hope to be able to share some of that knowledge from a 22-year career that I was taught and also give back what I learned as well. That’s the fun part for me.”

Another big thing Thome may have to adjust to is the emergence of new statistics. With the explosion of Statcast, fans and analysts now have every number imaginable at their fingertips. Things like exit velocity and launch angle weren’t prevalent when Thome played, but he sees the value in combining an old-school approach with the new metrics.

“I only knew one way when I played,” he says. “The unique thing about MLB Network is they [use advanced stats]. You never want to take away all the little things the fans love. The exit velocity. [Home run] distance. All that. There’s 100 percent accuracy to all of it.

“Then I think there’s accuracy to the old-school way we were taught the game too. We didn’t know about [Statcast], so it didn’t clog our brain. You would see a stat and you would go, ‘OK, I’ve got 70 walks.’ I think so much is broken down, and not in a bad way, but to help the game grow and have people understand how really, truly good a player is today, which is a great thing.”

Finding the right balance between the two shouldn’t be an issue for Thome. His enthusiasm for the game right now couldn’t be more evident. Thome cites a number of young players, such as Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, as guys he enjoys watching. He believes Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor is a “special talent,” and marvels at how athletically gifted players are today. Of course, he’s also quick to point out his admiration for veterans such as Miguel Cabrera and Jose Abreu.

But if you needed more evidence Thome is excited about his new role, it’s how quickly he offers up amazement at how much pitching has changed since he stopped playing.

“It seems to me over the last five years since I retired,” Thome says, “has velocity actually gone up on average?”

In that moment, it’s not hard to imagine Thome breaking down the next at-bat Harper takes against Noah Syndergaard. Faced with that proposal, only one thing comes to Thome’s mind.

“The game of baseball is in a great spot right now for sure,” he says.

We couldn’t have said it any better.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik