Enrique Bradfield Jr., who became the fifth straight position player selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the first round of the MLB Draft under GM Mike Elias, carries a special skill set, and his college coach believes he’s a good fit for the Orioles and the state of modern-day baseball.
Bradfield, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound outfielder, was selected in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft (No. 17 overall) on July 9. MLB Pipeline ranked Bradfield as the No. 21 prospect in the draft, rated him as the fastest player in the draft and noted he could’ve been selected in the top three rounds out of high school in South Florida.
Bradfield attended Vanderbilt, where he had a dominant three-year career with the Commodores and improved his draft stock. He finished his college career with a .311/.425/.447 slash line to go along with 224 hits, 108 RBIs, 198 runs in 191 games played. He also walked more than he struck out.
Bradfield earned SEC Freshman of the Year (2021), Consensus All-American (2021, 2022), All-SEC First Team (2021, 2022), All-SEC Defensive Team (2022), ABCA/Rawlings Division I Gold Glove Team (2021) and many other honors.
Bradfield played under head coach Tim Corbin, who says the Orioles are getting a player who fits where baseball is headed with the brightest young stars having premium speed.
“The size of the bases certainly helps. The ability to know that he’s going to go and there’s only a certain amount of pickoffs over to first base or second base, he’s going to take advantage of that,” Corbin said on Glenn Clark Radio July 10. “So, there’s certainly a speed element to his game. He’s going to be able to shrink the defense because defenses are going to have to respect the fact that he can bunt.”
Bradfield stole a program-record 130 bases in three seasons at Vanderbilt and was caught just 13 times. But he is not just disruptive on the bases. He’s also an elite defender in center field. The outfielder has a career .991 fielding percentage with just four errors and five assists. He regularly makes highlight-reel catches and excels at tracking down baseballs in the gaps.
Corbin says Bradfield’s speed and range will show up on the defensive side in pro ball. His instincts, anticipation and willingness to compete for the ball are what separate him as a defender.
“You’re going to see a guy at some point in time take away doubles, triples and home runs, and even off-the-bat singles that fall in front of outfielders,” Corbin said. “He can play the defensive position like no one we’ve ever had here, and really no one that I’ve seen.”
Corbin expressed that Bradfield thrives on the biggest stages as a tough competitor and will help a team like the Orioles, who are in their window to compete for championships.
“He’s that kid that gets into those environments right there and he’s brighter, he shines, he likes it. He thrives in the arena of competition,” Corbin said. “… The bigger the game, the better he is. He’s just a tough tough competitor. You’re going to like the style. He’s going to improve your team.”
Many have expressed concern about Bradfield’s ability to hit in the big leagues as his batting average dipped below .280 in his junior season after finishing his freshman season batting above the .330 mark.
However, Corbin says not to worry about those numbers because Bradfield hit to all fields. In fact, he suggests that Bradfield still has room to grow both physically and in terms of power.
“He’s going to feel his power, he’s going to grow into that. This is a kid that’s going to be able to drive the ball, but you’re just going to like the style of play,” Corbin said. “When people get in the seats, yeah, they like the home run and they like the well-pitched game but this guy’s offense moves from a batter’s box to a base and it’s not over until he touches the plate.”
For more from Corbin, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics