There’s a ton of optimism going on after the Orix Buffaloes signed veteran major league outfielder Adam Jones to a two-year contract during the baseball winter meetings.

How does his acquisition compare to other veteran MLB power hitters coming over in the past?

Since he signed a two-year deal, let’s eliminate guys like Bob Horner, Tony Batista, and Larry Doby, who only played a single season in Japan. That leaves 20 players who came to NPB with 100 or more home runs in MLB. In terms of what they did before they came, Jones is now third on the list behind Andruw Jones (434) and Reggie Smith (313).

Here are the top five with their ages on Opening Day of their first season (rounded to the nearest integer)

Name	Age	MLB HRs	NPB HRs
Andruw Jones	36	434	50
Reggie Smith	38	314	45
Larry Parrish	35	256	70
Ben Oglivie	38	235	46
Dick Stuart	34	228	49

Pointless trivia: I didn’t know this until I was cleaning this data set, but Dick Stuart went to Sequoia High School in Redwood City, CA, about three miles from my childhood home. I didn’t go there but my two stepbrothers did, and it was said the greatest athlete from that school had been Heisman Trophy winner Gary Beban — a UCLA quarterback who was a rival and contemporary of San Francisco native O.J. Simpson.

Adam Jones will be the 10th youngest of those 20 players. Here’s that list with No. 11 George Altman added.

Name	Age	MLB HR	NPB HR
Jack Howell	31	108	100
Willy Upshaw	32	123	39
Davey Johnson	32	114	39
Lloyd Moseby	32	169	29
Mel Hall	33	134	64
Glenn Davis	34	190	28
Mike Pagliarulo	34	134	7
Willie Kirkland	34	148	126
Dick Stuart	34	228	49
Adam Jones	35	282
George Altman	35	101	205

And here’s the list of the top 10 home run hitters in NPB from the “real major leaguers” as Jones was referred to by Orix GM Junichi Fukura:

Name	Age	MLB HRs	NPB HRS
George Altman	35	101	205
Daryl Spencer	36	105	152
Willie Kirkland	34	148	126
Jack Howell	31	108	100
Clete Boyer	35	162	71
Larry Parrish	35	256	70
Mel Hall	33	134	64
Roy White	36	160	54
Andruw Jones	36	434	50
Dick Stuart	34	228	49