Trenton Brooks of the Kiwoom Heroes takes a swing during a Korea Baseball Organization preseason game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
After spending most of the past five seasons in Triple-A and not enough time in the majors, Trenton Brooks decided it was time for a change.
And that desire for a change of scenery landed him in South Korea, where he will be playing for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on $700,000. He can make another $150,000 in incentives.
“Truly, I wanted to try something different,” Brooks told Yonhap News Agency on Monday before a preseason game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. “I’ve been in Triple-A for five years and I’ve gone up and down (between the minors and the majors) for two years. I was excited for a different experience.”
Brooks made his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants in 2024 but only played 12 games then. He signed with the San Diego Padres as a free agent after that year and logged 25 games with the Friars in 2025. In those 37 career games, Brooks had one homer, three RBIs and 19 strikeouts in 72 at-bats, with a .136/.208/.212 line that doesn’t scream a big league hitter.
In the highest rung of the minor leagues, though, it has been a different story. Brooks put up a strong .275/.388/.491 line with 15 home runs and 68 RBIs in 90 games in Triple-A for the Padres last year. The year before that in the Giants system, Brooks batted .302/.410/.453, while hitting 10 homers and driving in 58 runs in 94 Triple-A games.
Trenton Brooks of the Kiwoom Heroes poses for a photo after an interview with Yonhap News Agency, Monday, prior to a Korea Baseball Organization preseason game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. Yonhap
Brooks, 30, seemed to be a classic “Quadruple-A” player, someone who is considered too good for Triple-A but has trouble putting it together in the majors. And KBO clubs have signed their fair share of such players over the years.
With the KBO preseason ending Tuesday and the regular season starting Saturday, Brooks said he was eager to help the Heroes, who occupied the KBO’s cellar in each of the past three seasons, regain some respectability.
“(Regular-season) games mean something, right? And the whole purpose of being out on the field for that specific day is to win the ball game,” Brooks said. “That’s always fun when your whole team is pulling together and trying to win a ball game. So that’s what I’m most looking forward to.”
The Heroes have said Brooks can play first base and all three outfield positions — something he did for a few years in the minors. They have described him as a hitter with good plate discipline and gap power.
Trenton Brooks of the Kiwoom Heroes, left, celebrates after hitting a double against the SSG Landers during the teams’ Korea Baseball Organization preseason game at Incheon SSG Landers Field in the western city of Incheon, March 22. Courtesy of Kiwoom Heroes
And Brooks did display some of those qualities during spring training. He batted .306 (11-for-36) in 12 preseason games and drew eight walks in 44 plate appearances en route to posting an elite on-base percentage of .432.
Brooks only managed three extra-base hits, all of them doubles, and the Heroes would certainly like to see more pop from their new import.
And power will likely come once Brooks adjusts to KBO pitching.
Trenton Brooks of the Kiwoom Heroes hits a double against the SSG Landers during the teams’ Korea Baseball Organization preseason game at Incheon SSG Landers Field in the western city of Incheon, March 22. Courtesy of Kiwoom Heroes
While with the Padres’ Triple-A club in 2025, Brooks was teammates with three former KBO players — Hanwha Eagles outfielder Yonathan Perlaza, who is back with the KBO team this year after first playing for them in 2024, ex-KT Wiz pitcher Wes Benjamin, and former NC Dinos starter Kyle Hart. Brooks said he’d also had “a good conversation” with LG Twins pitcher Anders Tolhurst, though the two never played together in the minors.
But none of them could prepare Brooks for the types of pitches he would face in the KBO.
“All the splitters and forkballs,” Brooks said with a smile when asked about his “Welcome to the KBO” moment. “Oh my gosh, you don’t have this many of these in the United States, not quite. Hopefully, I don’t get one too hard (in the regular season).”