Get to know Orioles' No. 17 pick Enrique Bradfield Jr.
Theo DeRosa
@Theo_DeRosaYes, Enrique Bradfield Jr. can run. But that¡¯s not all he can do. The speedy Vanderbilt outfielder can also hit for average, he can track down balls in center field and he has a strong throwing arm.
Here¡¯s more on the player selected No. 17 overall by the Orioles in the 2023 Draft.
FAST FACTS
Position: CF
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-1, 170 lbs.
B/T: Left/left
DOB: Dec. 2, 2001
College: Vanderbilt
High school: American Heritage (Fla.)
Born: Pembroke Pines, Fla.
He¡¯s a threat on the basepaths
On Feb. 26, Bradfield took off for second base during a game against UCLA. When he slid in safely, he secured a new Vanderbilt record: 97 career stolen bases.
In barely more than two seasons, Bradfield had made history at a storied baseball program. By the time his junior season wrapped up in the NCAA Regionals on June 4, he had 130 stolen bases. Bradfield stole a Division I-high 47 bases as a freshman, then went 46-for-46 in steals the following season.
Bradfield¡¯s speed received an 80 grade from MLB Pipeline, the highest possible score on the 20-80 scale. Simply put, he can fly.
He can hit, too
Bradfield¡¯s speed helps him at the plate, but he¡¯s an accomplished hitter even without it.
He compiled an impressive .311 average in his three seasons at Vanderbilt, batting a career-best .336 in his freshman season. Bradfield also walked at a strong 14.6% clip during his college career, giving him a career .426 on-base percentage.
While power isn¡¯t a big part of Bradfield¡¯s game -- with a grade of 30, it¡¯s his least acclaimed tool -- he can still send the ball over the fence. Bradfield improved from one homer as a freshman to eight as a sophomore, adding six more long balls during his junior season.
He channeled Benny ¡®the Jet¡¯ Rodriguez
One-run game. Ninth inning. Two outs. Runners on the corners. Not many players would try to steal home in this scenario. Not many players are Enrique Bradfield Jr.
As a sophomore in May 2022, Bradfield stole home against Indiana State to send the Commodores and Sycamores to extra innings. Vanderbilt went on to win, 8-7, after Bradfield reached base in the 11th, stole second, got to third on an error and scored on a walk-off single.
The thrilling win was evidence of what Bradfield¡¯s game-breaking speed can do.
He can lock down center field
Bradfield¡¯s natural instincts -- plus his difference-making speed -- make him an effective defender in center field.
MLB Pipeline gives Bradfield¡¯s fielding tool an above-average 55 grade, meaning he has a good chance to be an impact defender in center in the Majors.
When he can rob homers with relative ease, it¡¯s not hard to see why.
He throws left-handed!
Bradfield is a member of an ¡°endangered species¡± in baseball: left-handed hitters who also throw left-handed.
Only 36 position players in 2022 can say the same ?-- out of 317 players who reached a minimum of 250 plate appearances. That¡¯s just 11.4%, meaning that if Bradfield makes the Majors, Bradfield will join a fairly exclusive club.
Many of those pure lefties, like Bradfield, spent time in center field in 2022. Cody Bellinger, Michael Harris II, Mike Yastrzemski and Cedric Mullins are some of the other lefty-throwing center fielders in the Majors.
Bradfield has himself a solid arm, which received a grade of 50 from MLB Pipeline. Watch him in action for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, cutting down the go-ahead run at the plate against Cura?ao.
He broke ¡ a metal bat?
The aluminum bats used by college baseball players are much harder to break than the wooden bats used in the Major and Minor Leagues.
Unless you¡¯re Bradfield, apparently.
In the seventh inning against Eastern Illinois in the opening round of NCAA Regionals on June 2, Bradfield connected on a 2-2 pitch -- but lost the majority of his aluminum bat in the process.
Left holding only the handle, Bradfield couldn¡¯t help but watch his barrel fly into foul territory before breaking down the line. As for the baseball, right fielder Logan Eickhoff made a diving catch to rob Bradfield of a hit.
Bradfield¡¯s bizarre break is certainly a rarity in college baseball, but once he¡¯s drafted, he¡¯ll likely have to deal with the issue more often.