View source for Brandon Larson

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1976)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| image       = 
| name        = Brandon Larson
| position    = [[Third baseman]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1976|5|24}}
| birth_place = [[San Angelo, Texas]], U.S.
| bats        = Right
| throws      = Right
| debutleague = MLB
| debutdate   = May 4
| debutyear   = 2001
| debutteam   = Cincinnati Reds
| finalleague = MLB
| finaldate   = July 17
| finalyear   = 2004
| finalteam   = Cincinnati Reds
| statleague  = MLB
| stat1label  = [[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
| stat1value  = .179
| stat2label  = [[Home run]]s
| stat2value  = 8
| stat3label  = [[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
| stat3value  = 37
| teams       = 
* [[Cincinnati Reds]] ({{mlby|2001}}–{{mlby|2004}})
}}
'''Brandon John Larson''' (born May 24, 1976) is an American former professional [[baseball]] [[third baseman]]. He played in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) for the [[Cincinnati Reds]]. Larson won the [[Most valuable player|MVP]] for the [[1997 College World Series]].

==Career==
After his successful {{By|1997}} college season with the [[LSU Tigers baseball|LSU Tigers]], he was drafted by the [[Cincinnati Reds]] in the 1st round (14th overall) of the 1997 amateur entry draft. He had one of the most prolific years in college baseball history, his one year of NCAA Division 1 Baseball, where he hit 40 home runs and had 118 RBIs with a .381 batting average. (1997) <ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.lsusports.net/fls/5200/assets/docs/bb/97stats/teamcume.htm | title=LSU - Season Statistics | access-date=2017-06-19 | archive-date=2016-03-04 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000435/http://www.lsusports.net/fls/5200/assets/docs/bb/97stats/teamcume.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Larson had success in the minor leagues, reaching Triple-A in {{By|2001}}.{{cn|date=July 2023}} In that year, he was nearly traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for future Hall of Fame third baseman [[Scott Rolen]]. The proposal was dropped due to financial reasons after Reds president John Allen intervened.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bowden |first=Jim |title=MLB trade deadline Q&A: Bowden on buyers, sellers, scenarios and the latest buzz |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4714015/2023/07/24/mlb-trade-deadline-buyers-sellers-latest/ |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=The Athletic |language=en}}</ref>

Larsen had two outstanding following years (he was the All-Star 3B for the [[International League]] in {{By|2002}} and {{By|2003}}, and was the Cincinnati Reds Minor League Player of the Year in 2003), but he never had success in the Major Leagues. He played in 40 games for the Reds in {{By|2004}}, [[Batting average (baseball)|batting]] .212, and became a [[free agent]] after the season. He was signed by the [[Tampa Bay Devil Rays]], then released at the end of {{By|2005}} [[spring training]], and then signed by the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]], and batted .289 at Double-A, before being released mid-season. He was signed by the [[Washington Nationals]] before the {{By|2006}} season, and batted .286 at Triple-A [[New Orleans Zephyrs|New Orleans]]. In {{By|2007}}, he was in Double-A [[Harrisburg Senators|Harrisburg]], batting .232 and on June 27 was released.{{cn|date=July 2023}}

On July 20, 2007, Larson signed with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League, batting .333 with 27 [[Run batted in|RBI]] the rest of the season. In {{By|2008}}, he was selected to participate in the Atlantic League [[Home Run Derby]] and was elected to the [[All-star game]].{{cn|date=July 2023}}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|mlb=276053|br=l/larsobr01}}
*[https://archive.today/20130115202606/http://www2.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/players/Brandon_Larson/ Sportsnet player stats]
*[http://www.somersetpatriots.com/news/index.html?article_id=1036 2008 Home Run Derby]
*[http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Brandon%2520Larson&pos=3B&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=276053 MiLB.com player stats]

{{1997 LSU Tigers baseball}}
{{CWSMOP}}
{{1997 College Baseball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1997 MLB Draft}}
{{Cincinnati Reds first-round draft picks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Larson, Brandon}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Reds players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball third basemen]]
[[Category:Baseball players from San Angelo, Texas]]
[[Category:Blinn Buccaneers baseball players]]
[[Category:LSU Tigers baseball players]]
[[Category:Chattanooga Lookouts players]]
[[Category:Burlington Bees players]]
[[Category:Rockford Reds players]]
[[Category:Louisville RiverBats players]]
[[Category:Louisville Bats players]]
[[Category:Frisco RoughRiders players]]
[[Category:New Orleans Zephyrs players]]
[[Category:Somerset Patriots players]]
[[Category:Harrisburg Senators players]]
[[Category:College World Series Most Outstanding Player Award winners]]
[[Category:All-American college baseball players]]