1. Early Life and Amateur Career
Brosseau attended Andrean High School in Merrillville, Indiana, where he was a teammate of future MLB pitcher Sean Manaea. After graduating from high school in 2013, he went on to play collegiate baseball for four years (2013-2016) at Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
2. Professional Career
Michael Brosseau's professional career began after going undrafted in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, leading him to sign as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Rays. He then progressed through their minor league system, eventually making his MLB debut and playing for the Rays before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. After his time with the Brewers, Brosseau ventured into international baseball with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan, followed by returns to minor league systems in the United States with the Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, and most recently, the San Diego Padres.
2.1. Tampa Bay Rays
Brosseau signed a free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Rays on June 23, 2016, after going undrafted in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. He began his professional career with the Gulf Coast League Rays in Rookie League baseball on June 25, 2016. In 35 games that season, he batted .319 with a .424 on-base percentage, .442 slugging percentage, 0 home runs, and 21 RBI. His impressive performance led to a promotion to the Bowling Green Hot Rods for the 2017 season. On August 7, he was called up to the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Florida State League, a High-A affiliate. For the 2017 season, he appeared in a combined 99 games across both teams, batting .321 with a .399 on-base percentage, .453 slugging percentage, 7 home runs, and 42 RBI. That off-season, he played 25 games for the Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League (ABL).
For the 2018 season, Brosseau played for the Montgomery Biscuits, the Double-A affiliate in the Southern League (1964-2020). At the start of the 2019 season, he earned a promotion to the Rays' Triple-A affiliate, the Durham Bulls. Before his major league call-up, Brosseau was leading both the Bulls and the International League with 57 RBI.
On June 22, 2019, the Rays promoted Brosseau to the major leagues, and he made his MLB debut on June 23, 2019, against the Oakland Athletics, starting as the fifth batter and third baseman. In his first at-bat, he recorded his first MLB hit, a single, finishing the game 1-for-5. On July 3, in a loss to the Baltimore Orioles, Brosseau hit his first career home run. He then recorded his first multi-home-run game on July 13. On July 22, Brosseau made a unique appearance as a pitcher against the Boston Red Sox, giving up one run in an inning during a loss. For the 2019 season, he appeared in 50 MLB games, batting .273 with 6 home runs, 16 RBI, and 1 stolen base. He also pitched in three games.
In the shortened 2020 season, Brosseau played in 36 games, hitting .302/.378/.558 with 5 home runs and 12 RBI in 86 at-bats. On August 15, 2020, while pitching against the Toronto Blue Jays, he recorded his first career strikeout against Randal Grichuk. A notable incident occurred on September 1, 2020, when New York Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman threw a pitch that narrowly missed Brosseau's head, leading to a three-game suspension for Chapman, though he denied intentional aiming. Brosseau gained sweet revenge on October 9, 2020, during Game 5 of the 2020 American League Division Series when he faced Chapman again in the eighth inning and hit a series-winning home run, sending the Rays to the 2020 American League Championship Series.
In 2021, Brosseau split most of his time between the Rays and the Durham Bulls. In 57 MLB games, he batted .187 with 5 home runs and 18 RBI.
2.2. Milwaukee Brewers
On November 13, 2021, the Rays traded Brosseau to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for pitcher Evan Reifert. In 69 games with Milwaukee during the 2022 season, Brosseau batted .255/.344/.418 with 6 home runs and 23 RBI. He primarily played third base, but also made appearances at shortstop and first base, and pitched three times. This was his first professional season where he did not play in the outfield.
In 2023, Brosseau played in 29 games for the Brewers, hitting .205/.256/.397 with 4 home runs and 8 RBI. On July 5, he was designated for assignment by the Brewers following the promotion of J. C. Mejía. He subsequently cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds on July 9, remaining within the Brewers organization.
2.3. Chiba Lotte Marines
On July 29, 2023, Brosseau signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), receiving the uniform number 72. He arrived in Japan that same night and made his NPB debut on August 1, 2023, against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at ZOZO Marine Stadium, starting as the seventh batter and third baseman, without undergoing a period of adjustment in the minor league system. In the sixth inning of that game, he recorded his first hit in Japan, a single off Kohei Arihara. On August 10, against the Orix Buffaloes at ZOZO Marine Stadium, Brosseau hit his first home run in Japan, a two-run shot off Jacob Waguespack. However, this remained his only home run in NPB. For the 2023 season with the Marines, he played in 37 games, batting .191 with 1 home run and 11 RBI. He became a free agent on December 1, 2023.
2.4. Kansas City Royals Organization
On December 7, 2023, Brosseau signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals. He began the 2024 season with the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. In 9 games for the Storm Chasers, he struggled offensively, going 3-for-28 (.107) with no home runs and three RBI. On April 24, 2024, Brosseau was released by the Royals organization.
2.5. New York Mets Organization
On April 30, 2024, Brosseau signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets. He was assigned to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. In 93 games for Syracuse, he batted .276/.368/.441 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI. Brosseau elected free agency following the season on November 4.
2.6. San Diego Padres Organization
On December 28, 2024, Brosseau signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres.
3. Player Profile
Michael Brosseau is characterized by his batting power and his exceptional versatility as a utility player, capable of playing multiple positions across both the infield and the outfield. This adaptability makes him a valuable asset, allowing him to fill various defensive roles for his team.
4. Career Statistics
Michael Brosseau's career statistics include his performance in Major League Baseball (MLB) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), encompassing batting, pitching, and fielding data.
4.1. Batting Statistics
| Year | GP | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | TB | RBI | SB | CS | SH | SF | BB | IBB | HBP | SO | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | TB | 50 | 142 | 132 | 17 | 36 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 61 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 3 | .301 | .319 | .462 | .781 |
| 2020 | 36 | 98 | 86 | 12 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 48 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 1 | .302 | .378 | .558 | .936 | |
| 2021 | 57 | 169 | 150 | 21 | 28 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 52 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 53 | 1 | .187 | .266 | .347 | .613 | |
| 2022 | MIL | 69 | 160 | 141 | 15 | 36 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 59 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 48 | 0 | .255 | .344 | .418 | .762 |
| 2023 | 29 | 78 | 73 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 2 | .205 | .256 | .397 | .653 | |
| Lotte | 37 | 147 | 136 | 9 | 26 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 39 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 1 | .191 | .218 | .287 | .504 | |
| MLB: 5 years | 244 | 647 | 582 | 69 | 141 | 28 | 1 | 26 | 249 | 77 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 48 | 0 | 13 | 191 | 7 | .242 | .313 | .428 | .741 | |
| NPB: 1 year | 37 | 147 | 136 | 9 | 26 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 39 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 1 | .191 | .218 | .287 | .504 | |
4.2. Pitching Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | W | L | SV | HLD | W-L% | BF | IP | H | HR | HBP | BB | SO | WP | BK | R | ER | ERA | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | TB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 18 | 4.0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4.50 | 1.25 | |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 2022 | MIL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 13 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 9 | 2.1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3.86 | 0.86 | |
| MLB: 4 years | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 41 | 9.2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2.79 | 1.03 | |
4.3. Fielding Statistics
Brosseau's fielding statistics include his performance at various positions across MLB and NPB.
; Pitcher Fielding
| Year | Team | Pitcher (P) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | PO | A | E | DP | FPCT | ||
| 2019 | TB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | |
| 2022 | MIL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | |
| MLB | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | |
; Infield Fielding
| Year | Team | First Base (1B) | Second Base (2B) | Third Base (3B) | Shortstop (SS) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | PO | A | E | DP | FPCT | GP | PO | A | E | DP | FPCT | GP | PO | A | E | DP | FPCT | GP | PO | A | E | DP | FPCT | ||
| 2019 | TB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 26 | 25 | 39 | 0 | 8 | 1.000 | 18 | 12 | 18 | 1 | 2 | .968 | - | |||||
| 2020 | 12 | 51 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 1.000 | 9 | 15 | 17 | 0 | 8 | 1.000 | 11 | 6 | 23 | 2 | 1 | .935 | - | ||||||
| 2021 | 10 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 3 | .974 | 27 | 20 | 42 | 0 | 14 | 1.000 | 23 | 11 | 27 | 1 | 2 | .974 | - | ||||||
| 2022 | MIL | 3 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | - | 55 | 22 | 63 | 6 | 8 | .934 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | .917 | |||||
| 2023 | 4 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 20 | 3 | 24 | 5 | 2 | .844 | - | ||||||
| Lotte | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 35 | 13 | 52 | 5 | 4 | .929 | - | |||||||||||
| MLB | 30 | 120 | 14 | 1 | 14 | .993 | 63 | 60 | 98 | 0 | 30 | 1.000 | 127 | 54 | 155 | 15 | 15 | .933 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | .917 | |
| NPB | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 35 | 13 | 52 | 5 | 4 | .929 | - | |||||||||||
; Outfield Fielding
| Year | Team | Left Field (LF) | Right Field (RF) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | PO | A | E | DP | FPCT | GP | PO | A | E | DP | FPCT | ||
| 2019 | TB | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2020 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | |
| 2021 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | |
| MLB | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | |
5. Records and Achievements
Michael Brosseau is recognized for several notable achievements throughout his professional baseball career, including significant moments in MLB and his "first" records in NPB.
5.1. NPB Records
During his tenure in Nippon Professional Baseball with the Chiba Lotte Marines, Brosseau achieved several "first" records:
- First Appearance and First Start: August 1, 2023, against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (14th game of the season) at ZOZO Marine Stadium, starting as the 7th batter and third baseman.
- First At-Bat: August 1, 2023, in the 2nd inning against Kohei Arihara, resulting in a groundout to third base.
- First Hit: August 1, 2023, in the 6th inning against Kohei Arihara, a single to left field.
- First RBI: August 2, 2023, against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (15th game of the season) at ZOZO Marine Stadium, in the 3rd inning against James Marvel, a sacrifice fly to left field.
- First Home Run: August 10, 2023, against the Orix Buffaloes (15th game of the season) at ZOZO Marine Stadium, in the 3rd inning against Jacob Waguespack, a two-run home run to left field.
6. Other Professional Details
Additional specific details about Michael Brosseau's professional career include his various uniform numbers and the walk-up music he has used.
6.1. Uniform Numbers
Throughout his professional career, Michael Brosseau has worn several uniform numbers across different teams:
- 43 (2019-2021) with the Tampa Bay Rays
- 20 (2022) with the Milwaukee Brewers
- 10 (2023 - July 9, 2023) with the Milwaukee Brewers
- 72 (July 30, 2023 - end of 2023 season) with the Chiba Lotte Marines
6.2. Walk-up Music
During his time with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2023, Michael Brosseau used the following songs as his walk-up music:
- "Head & Heart (feat. MNEK)" by Joel Corry (used for odd-numbered at-bats)
- "Prospect (feat. Lil Baby)" by Iann Dior (used for even-numbered at-bats)