Brandon Snyder, 2011 Topps Allen and Ginter Mini #228

Congratulations and back-slaps to Brandon Snyder, who hit his first big league home run for the Rangers this afternoon. He never quite lived up to the expectations that the Orioles had when they chose him with the 13th overall pick in the 2005 amateur draft, but simply by making it to the majors he's beaten the odds. The 25-year-old first baseman and corner infielder has largely been a late-inning sub for Texas; today marks his fourth start in 25 games for the team. But he's managed to stay sharp, batting .357 (5-for-14) with a couple of walks. And here's a neat tidbit that I somehow missed before Baseball Reference clued me in: Brandon's father Brian pitched briefly for the Mariners (6.37 ERA in 35.1 IP in 1985) and Athletics (2 ER in 0.2 IP in 1989). So Snyder the younger can already claim that he's the most successful ballplayer in the family, no matter what twists and turns his career takes in the future.