One of the most exciting moments of the SF Giants season in 2022 was when late-season acquisition Lewis Brinson caught fire early in September. However, after finishing his season in the minors, Brinson became a free agent this offseason and has decided to head across the Pacific Ocean to Japan. Brinson agreed to a one-year contract with the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball league. Set to turn 29 in May, Brinson is hoping to become a star in Japan and possibly make some strides that could help him find a permanent role in MLB.
The Giants acquired Brinson in a trade with the Astros early in September for cash considerations. He started his Giants career with a bang, recording a two-homer game and a lead-off homer in his first week with the team. However, Brinson struggled to maintain that success and racked up 14 strikeouts in 39 plate appearances before he was ultimately designated for assignment.
A former first-round pick and top-100 prospect, Brinson still has an intriguing combination of power and athleticism. He is an excellent defensive center fielder and has crushed upper minors competition this season. In 87 games with the Giants and Astros Triple-A affiliates in 2022, Brinson hit .298/.356/.566 with 22 home runs.
Brinson has appeared in each of the past six big-league seasons, posting a .198/.246/.328 triple-slash in 1,150 plate appearances with 41 doubles, seven triples, and 28 home runs. While he has struggled to make enough contact to be a passable hitter, Brinson remains an above-average defensive center fielder.
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