Bradfield: "I’m very optimistic about where I am and how I feel this early in camp"

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 17^th 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.

Bradfield is altering his approach more than his mechanics and he doesn’t usually hit tape-measure home runs. He’s got his own story.

“Just been focused on being more consistent and being able to deliver, and I made a lot of good improvements this offseason and early in camp,” said Bradfield, 23, who’s batting .275/.380/.364 in 579 plate appearances. “I’ve been here a little while already, so it’s given me more time to be around the staff and get with these coaches and be able to really just move this thing forward. I’m honestly just trying to spray the ball all over the yard on a line. If I can do that, then that means I’m moving well and everything’s working in place.

“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 the obvious follow-up question for Bradfield: how does he go about becoming more consistent.  

“I haven’t really made any changes that way. Just becoming more comfortable with different pitch shapes, pitch velocities, and being aware of how I feel like I need to move to be able to get in these positions and hit the ball the way I want to,” he said.

“I’ve made some very good strides. I’m very optimistic about where I am and how I feel this early in camp. So I’m just hoping to take the days for what the days are and have a good one.”

Bradfield had a great one Tuesday afternoon, coming off the bench and belting a two-run homer against the Tigers. He hit four last year in 108 games, but he arrived in camp a bigger version of himself from time spent in the weight room.

So much of what Bradfield is doing and thinking is a product of the two seasons that passed since leaving Vanderbilt.

“Yeah, 100 percent, I feel like experience plays a huge part in it,” said Bradfield, who pinch-ran yesterday in Bradenton and popped up in his only at-bat. “Coming from college, it doesn’t matter where you are, professional baseball’s a huge jump for anybody. Sometimes, it takes a little bit of time and that’s all right. It’s just kind of sticking with that.

“I’m very confident in what I’m able to do in any aspect of my game, and obviously the org is very confident in me. They’ve shown that. So as long as that’s going on, I don’t see any problems or anything that needs to change.”

Bradfield is in his first major league camp as a non-roster invite after making a few appearances last spring. Manager Brandon Hyde got a sneak peek at last month’s minicamp.

“It was fun watching him run last year and watching him play defense,” Hyde said. “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.”