| Bryant Packard | |
|---|---|
| Outfielder | |
| Born:October 6, 1997 Seattle, Washington, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right |
Bryant Thomas Packard (born October 6,1997) is an American former baseball outfielder. [1] [2] He was a consensus All-American in 2018. He was later in the Detroit Tigers organization.
Packard attended East Carolina University from 2017 to 2019. After featuring in a supporting role as a freshman,he had a breakout sophomore year batting .406 with a .462 OBP. He hit 14 home runs with 50 RBIs and was named to seven All-American teams,including five as a first-team selection. He was the AAC Conference Player of the Year and a unanimous selection to the All-AAC First Team. He was named on the preseason Golden Spikes Award watchlist entering his junior year. He would hit .358 as a junior with a .444 OBP,aided by walking nine times more as a junior than a sophomore. He would hit seven home runs,a career-high 19 doubles,and finished with 40 RBIs. [3] In 2018,he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League,where he was named a league all-star. [4] [5]
Packard was taken in the fifth round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He would start his career in the Detroit Tigers system with A-Short Season Connecticut Tigers. [6] Over 11 games,he would hit .351 with a .432 OBP,walking six times compared to just nine strikeouts. He would then join the Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps where he would continue his ascent. After hitting .309 with a .404 OBP,along with three home runs and 12 RBIs,in 23 games,he would end his 2019 season with the A-Advanced Lakeland Flying Tigers. Packard spent five games with Lakeland ending with a pair of hits and a pair of RBIs. Ahead of the 2020 season,which was set to be his first full professional campaign,he was named the Tigers' #17 prospect according to MLB.com [7] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He was released on July 21,2023. [8]