Expos legend Tom Brady? Former Patriots star dreams of alternate reality in new ad

Pedro Martinez, Larry Walker, and Vladimir Guerrero all make cameos in Brady's new commercial.

Tom Brady was drafted by the Expos, but opted to stick with football. Jim Davis / The Boston Globe

December 12, 2023

2 minutes to read

Tom Brady hung up his cleats in February as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game.

But what if the Patriots legend and seven-time Super Bowl champion opted to not follow his dreams of playing pro football? It’s not as outlandish of a scenario as one might think.

A versatile athlete at Junipero Serra High in San Mateo, California, Tom Brady was actually drafted by the Montreal Expos as the 507th pick in the 18th round of the 1995 MLB Draft.

Brady wisely decided to stay the course on the gridiron and attend the University of Michigan instead of putting pen to paper on a contract in Montreal.

But Brady mapped out an alternate reality where he dominates the baseball diamond in a new ad for Topps.

In the commercial, which Brady shared on his X account Tuesday morning, the future Hall of Famer dreams about a potential legendary career as a catcher with the Expos.

You can watch the ad below:

It was all a dream… right?! @Topps @MLB @michaelrubin pic.twitter.com/iYoj3gCmUX
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) December 12, 2023

In a lofty baseball journey mapped out through newspaper clippings and radio calls, Brady is regarded as a hero for the Expos — saving the franchise from relocation (they eventually moved to Washington D.C. in 2005) and ultimately winning seven World Series titles over his 23 seasons in Montreal.

Former Expos greats Pedro Martinez, Larry Walker, and Vladimir Guerrero all make appearances in the commercial, reminiscing about their playing days with Brady in a bar called, “Brady’s Brasserie.”

“That guy just never let us lose,” Walker said of Brady.

“Except to the Giants,” Martinez added, referring to the San Francisco club — but obviously alluding to Brady’s Super Bowl losses to Eli Manning and the New York football team in 2008 and 2012.

Of course, Boston sports fans preferred what actually played out — with Brady leading New England to a two-decade dynasty, and Martinez joining the Red Sox via trade in November 1997.

Eventually, Brady’s dream scenario is snapped after the now-retired QB wakes up from his deep sleep (with his clock reading 12:12).

Brady’s new ad is for Topps’ latest line of MLB trading cards — the 2023 Bowman Draft — which will feature Brady in his Expos jersey.

Shortly after the Patriots opted to take Brady with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, the star QB was asked about his baseball career and whether or not it was still a potential pro pursuit.

“Yeah, it’s really not,” Brady said. “I played catcher in high school and I got drafted by the Montreal Expos and I just decided I wanted to go back to Michigan and be the starting quarterback and play in front of 112,000 people. And certainly, this is a great step for me. It’s gonna be a great challenge, but I think I’m ready for it. Actually, I know I’m ready for it.”