Eric Allyn Thames (pronounced /θeɪms/) (born November 10, 1986) is an American professional baseball infielder for the NC Dinos of the KBO League. He was previously an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. Thames won the KBO League Most Valuable Player Award in 2015.
Eric Thames grew up in the San Jose-Santa Clara area. He attended Bellarmine College Prep where he was an all league player 2 years and a team MVP as a senior in 2004. Thames then attended West Valley Community College after sitting a year at Cabrillo College in 2005. During the 2006 season Thames made the Northern California all-state team, and he also made the first team all conference squad. From there, Thames transferred to Pepperdine University. Thames was drafted from Pepperdine University by the New York Yankees in the 39th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft, pick number 1191 overall. He chose to continue his studies at Pepperdine. He was drafted the following year by the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft, pick number 219 overall.