Lewis Brinson

Lewis Lamont Brinson (born May 8, 1994) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants. The Texas Rangers selected Brinson in the first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft.

Lewis Brinson grew up in South Florida. As a child, he aspired to play baseball for the Florida Marlins. Brinson attended Coral Springs High School in Coral Springs, Florida. In the summer before his senior year, he won a home run derby for prospects at Wrigley Field. He initially committed to play college baseball for the Florida Gators of the University of Florida.

The Texas Rangers selected Brinson in the first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Rangers, receiving a $1.625 million signing bonus, and made his professional debut with the Arizona League Rangers, hitting .283/.345/.523 with seven home runs over 237 at-bats in 54 games.

Brinson spent 2013 with the Hickory Crawdads of the Single–A South Atlantic League, hitting .237/.322/.427 with 21 home runs. He started 2014 with Hickory before being promoted to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. In 347 at-bats over 89 games, he hit .288/.354/.458 with 13 home runs. Brinson started 2015 with the High Desert Mavericks of the High–A California League and was promoted to the Frisco RoughRiders of the Double-A Texas League and Round Rock Express of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League (PCL) during the season. In 100 games over the three levels, he hit .332/.403/.601 with 20 home runs. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League. Brinson was invited to spring training by the Rangers in 2016. He began the season in Frisco.

On August 1, 2016, the Rangers traded Brinson, Luis Ortiz, and a player to be named later, Ryan Cordell to the Milwaukee Brewers for Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress. The Brewers assigned Brinson to the Colorado Springs Sky Sox of the PCL. He finished the 2016 season with a .268 batting average, 15 homers and 61 RBI. The Brewers added him to their 40-man roster after the season, in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Brinson began the 2017 season with Colorado Springs. The Brewers promoted him to the major leagues on June 10. In 21 games, Brinson hit two home runs and batted .106. In 2017 in the PCL he batted .331/.400/.562.

On January 25, 2018, the Brewers traded Brinson, Isan Díaz, Monte Harrison, and Jordan Yamamoto to the Miami Marlins for Christian Yelich. MLB.com ranked Brinson as Miami's top prospect going into the 2018 season. On March 25, 2018, the Marlins announced that Brinson had made the Opening Day roster. In 382 at bats with Miami he hit .199/.240/.338.

He was demoted to Triple–A on April 30, 2019, and promoted back to the major leagues on August 5. In 2019 in the PCL he batted .270/.361/.510.