Brandon Laird is having a yr to remember. He hit 2 more homers last night and drove in 7. He now has 18 homeruns and 76 RBI. His RBI total is 10 more than any player in professional baseball (Miguel Cabrera has 66). Currently, he is on pace for 35 homers and 150RBI as he just hit the halfway point. I know he probably isnt going to reach that, but nobody can detract from this kid's season.
Laird is typically a slow starter, but came on strong each of the last 2 seasons. But this yr, he was great out the gate in AA. He's 22, plays a respectable 3b defense, although looks more like a 1B or maybe a LF, and has the kind of raw power scouts dream about. The big detraction from Laird's game was his ability to make contact and his propensity to chase pitches. Well, those remain valid concerns. His BB% (BB/PA*100) sits at 7.2%. Last yr, his BB% was 7.9%. This yr, his K% (K/PA*100) is 18.0%. Last yr, it was 15.3%. So both of those seem to be going in the wrong direction. His BA this yr is a full season career high thus far at .293 with a BABIP of .309. So it isnt like he has been ultra lucky thus far. Last yr, he had a BA of .266 in a much tougher division for hitters (the FSL is hot as hell, there are no fans, and the parks are all deep with ads on their sometimes 20 foot high walls.) His BABIP last season was .280.
All in all, this kid is putting his name on the map. His power is special as is his knack for driving in runs (1st in the world this yr, 1st in the FSL last yr, 9th in the SAL in 2008). His approach can use some work, although it might just be the player he is. He will probably be trade bait unless he can successfully move to the OF, although he is quite a chip at this juncture. Regardless, I wouldnt be surprised to see him in AAA soon, since he really isnt getting much out of absolutely dominating AA