Eric Thames is a former professional baseball player who played as an outfielder and first baseman. He was born on November 10, 1986, in Santa Clara, California. Thames started his baseball career in 2008 when he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh round of the MLB draft.
Thames made his MLB debut in 2011 with the Blue Jays. He played in 95 games that season and hit .262 with 12 home runs and 37 RBIs. Thames was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2012, where he played in 40 games and hit .220 with six home runs and 12 RBIs.
After a brief stint in the Baltimore Orioles organization, Thames signed with the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) in 2014. Thames had a breakout season in the KBO, hitting .343 with 37 home runs and 121 RBIs. He was named the KBO MVP and helped lead the Dinos to the Korean Series championship.
Thames returned to the MLB in 2017, signing with the Milwaukee Brewers. He had a strong season, hitting .247 with 31 home runs and 63 RBIs. Thames continued to be a productive player for the Brewers in 2018, hitting .219 with 16 home runs and 37 RBIs in 96 games.
In 2019, Thames signed with the Washington Nationals. He played in 140 games that season, hitting .247 with 25 home runs and 61 RBIs. Thames was a key contributor to the Nationals' World Series championship run, hitting .250 with two home runs and six RBIs in the postseason.
Thames signed with the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2020. He played in 41 games for the Giants, hitting .197 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. Thames announced his retirement from professional baseball in November 2020.
Throughout his career, Thames was known for his power hitting and ability to play multiple positions. He finished his MLB career with a .241 batting average, 115 home runs, and 301 RBIs in 520 games. Thames also had success playing in the KBO and NPB, winning a championship in each league.
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