How good is Enrique Bradfield Jr.? A look at Vanderbilt star's college career
Enrique Bradfield Jr. is a centerfielder for the Baltimore Orioles and previously, the Vanderbilt Commodores. Bradfield Jr. was drafted in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft after an impressive collegiate baseball career.
Here, we will assess how impressive the 22-year-old was in college. Let's see whether the stolen bases expert was worth using as a first-round pick in last year's draft.
How did Enrique Bradfield Jr. perform at Vanderbilt?
Enrique Bradfield Jr. started his career at the Vanderbilt Commodores with an SEC Freshmen of the Year campaign. The American Heritage High School product went 46-for-52 on stolen base attempts and started his collegiate career with a 12-game reached base streak. He earned consensus first-team honors for his efforts.
Bradfield Jr. entered his sophomore season with a reputation, meaning that there was no longer the element of surprise facing his opponents. However, that didn't dissuade him from bagging All-SEC first team and SEC All-Defensive Team honors. The Vanderbilt star ended the season with the fifth most runs scored in the SEC and was a consensus All-American for the second season.
Bradfield Jr. ended his collegiate baseball career with a stellar junior year in 2023. The Vanderbilt icon broke the program's stolen base record in the process. He ended the season with a 2023 SEC Community Service Team spot. Enrique Bradfield Jr. was great at his craft, with his speed of thought and defensive prowess being the most impressive aspects of his game.
How has Enrique Bradfield Jr. performed as a pro?
Thanks to his stellar showings in college, the Baltimore Orioles selected Bradfield Jr. with the 17th pick of the 2023 MLB Draft. Bradfield Jr. was promptly assigned to the Florida Complex League Orioles to get some professional reps. He also saw appearances with the Delmarva Shorebirds and Aberdeen IronBirds to close out 2023. Bradfield Jr. amassed 25 stolen bases and hit .291 in 25 games with those three teams.
For the 2024 season, Bradfield Jr. has spent time in Aberdeen to get in tune with the system at the intermediate level of professional baseball. He's performing admirably as a professional.