MLB: Top Five Players Currently Playing Overseas
By Gavin Lee
4. Brandon Laird
Sometimes the Asian leagues are a good option for the less-talented siblings of big leaguers too.
Brandon Laird, younger brother of long-time major leaguer Gerald, took his talents to Japan after struggling in short call-ups for the Yankees and Astros. Always a big power prospect, Laird hit 134 jacks in his minor league career and 6 in just 127 big league at-bats, but just couldn’t hit enough to stay in the MLB.
At just 27, after a very successful AAA campaign (.300/.350/.490) that didn’t result in a single day on the Nationals’ 25-man roster, Laird decided to try something else. He signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters just weeks after the 2014 World Series ended.
It’s always a struggle getting used to a new team, let alone a new league and country, and for Laird it was no different. He hit under .200 for almost half the season, but showed that his power stroke was no joke. He finished the year with 34 home runs, good for 3rd in the league ahead of the legendary Wily Mo Pena (in his final season) and new Seattle Mariner Dae-ho Lee.
Laird is off to another great start this season, slashing .257/.314/.521 with a whopping 10 home runs in just 140 at-bats. He trails only Ernesto Mejia in that stat, another player developed in the American minor-league system (who only didn’t make this list because he never played an MLB game).
At only 28, Laird might get another look from an MLB team at some point if he keeps up his hitting. But after winning a life-time supply of beer on Monday, who would ever leave?
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