MLB: Former Players Find Success in Japan’s Top League
By Joshua Mayer
3. Brandon Laird, IF
Team: Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
Japan Career: .249/.311/.509 (2 years)
MLB Career: .197/.255/.370 (3 years)
For some MLB fans, the name Brandon Laird may not even ring a bell. No, he is not related to longtime former catcher Gerald Laird either.
To others, he is the failed power-hitting former Yankees prospect. In 2010, Laird was named Eastern League (AA) MVP for the Yankees affiliate in Trenton. There, he hit 23 home runs in only 107 games, while also batting .291.
Never able to replicate that production, Laird hit .197 in very limited MLB work with the Yankees and Astros from 2011-2013.
Instead of continuing to flounder around in the minors, Laird bolted for Japan. In his first year with the Nippon Ham Fighters, Laird hit 34 home runs, leading his team.
He has already surpassed that number this year with 35 after only 124 games. Laird is another guy, like Eldred, that just could not seem to figure it out in MLB. He flashed his potential in the minors, but could never hit against major league pitching.
At 28 years old, Laird could still have a future in MLB. Contract info is hard to find for the NPB, but in most cases it is not too hard to find for the majors. It remains to be seen if a team would be interested in Laird, or if Laird is interested in leaving.
After all, it must be fun being the leading home run hitter on a respected team like the Nippon Ham Fighters.
Next: A Former World Series Participant