The first preseason game did not fully showcase Orioles minor league outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr.
His skill set and upgrades would become clearer. Simply give it time.
Bradfield was ejected while attempting to steal after pinch-running for Cedric Mullins, and he went hitless in three at-bats in a defeat to Pittsburgh. However, this is the same guy, selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 draft from Vanderbilt, who stole 99 bases in his first two minor league seasons, including 74 last summer between High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Bowie. He has only been caught 15 times as a professional.
The defense was on display Saturday, with Bradfield getting tremendous leaps on a few of line drives and making the plays appear simple. However, his hitting ability will determine whether he makes it to the majors with equal pace.
Jackson Holliday gets the most attention in camp for his toe-tap timing mechanism, which replaces the leg lift. Catcher Samuel Basallo, who displaced Holliday as the system’s top prospect, is a must-see in hitting practice and demonstrated his power again Sunday with a 107.4 mph single in Clearwater.
Bradfield is changing his approach more than his technique, and he rarely hits tape-measure home runs. He has his own tale.
“Just been focused on being more consistent and able to deliver, and I made a lot of good improvements this offseason and early in camp,” said Bradfield, 23, who is hitting.275/.380/.364 in 579 plate appearances. “I’ve been here for a little while now, so I’ve had more time to be around the staff, get to know these coaches, and just take this thing ahead. I’m honestly simply attempting to spray the ball across the yard on a line. If I can achieve that, it signifies I’m making good progress and everything is in order.
“I’ve got a lot better this past year, especially since getting to Double-A Bowie, and I’m just looking forward to really just having a great camp and being able to learn from these coaches even more, and the guys around me, and just kind of use that in my own game.”
I had an obvious follow-up question for Bradfield: how can he become more consistent?
“I haven’t made any significant modifications that way. “I’m just getting more comfortable with different pitch shapes and velocities, and being aware of how I need to move to get into these positions and hit the ball the way I want to,” he added.
“I’ve made some good progress. I’m pretty optimistic about where I am and how I’m feeling this early in camp. So I’m simply hoping to enjoy each day for what it is.
Bradfield had a nice day on Tuesday, coming off the bench and hitting a two-run homer against the Tigers. He hit four in 108 games last year, but he came into camp a bigger version of himself because to his work in the weight room.
Bradfield’s actions and thoughts have been heavily influenced by the two seasons he has spent away from Vanderbilt University.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72816479/1594157875.0.jpg)
“Yeah, 100 percent, I feel like experience plays a huge part in it,” said Bradfield, who pinch-ran in Bradenton yesterday and reached base in his first at-bat. “Coming from college, it doesn’t matter where you are; professional baseball is a significant step for everyone. Sometimes it takes a little longer, and that’s fine. It’s just kind of sticking to that.
“I’m really confident in my abilities in all aspects of my game, and the organization is clearly confident in me. They’ve demonstrated that. So as long as that is the case, I don’t see any issues or changes that need to be made.
Bradfield is at his first major league camp as a non-roster invitee, having made a few outings last spring. Manager Brandon Hyde had a sneak peak at last month’s minicamp.
“It was fun watching him run last year and watching him play defense,” Hyde told me. “I know he’s made a lot of swing adjustments and he’s worked hard on his offense, and I’m looking forward to seeing how that translates into games.”
