SARASOTA, Fla. – The first exhibition game didn’t properly showcase Orioles minor league outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr.
His skillset and the improvements made would become more evident. Just give it time.
Bradfield was thrown out trying to steal after pinch-running for Cedric Mullins, and he went hitless in three at-bats in a loss to the Pirates. But this is the same player, chosen with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Vanderbilt, who swiped 99 bases in his first two minor league seasons – including a combined 74 last summer between High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Bowie. He’s been caught only 15 times as a professional.
The defense was on display Saturday, with Bradfield getting great jumps on a couple of line drives and making the plays look routine. But how he hits is going to determine whether he reaches the majors with similar speed.
Jackson Holliday gets the bulk of the camp attention with his toe-tap substituting for the leg lift as a timing mechanism. Catcher Samuel Basallo, who replaced Holliday as the No. 1 prospect in the system, is a must-watch in batting practice and provided another reminder of his strength Sunday with a 107.4 mph single in Clearwater.