Heading into July of last season, the Baltimore Orioles held the 17th overall pick, and there was obviously no clear-cut pick heading into draft night.
The Orioles decided on outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr., and it was maybe the best decision the organization could have made.
EBJ originally attended American Heritage High School, and after graduating in 2020, he went undrafted in the shortened 2020 MLB Draft. He ultimately decided to attend Vanderbilt University, where he originally committed.
Bradfield Jr. really showed out in his first season at Vandy, slashing .336/.451/.414 with a .865 OPS in 67 games. The main aspect of his freshman season was that he stole 47 bases in 53 attempts and had 45 walks compared to 42 strikeouts.
EBJ would spend three years at Vanderbilt, showing off his speed, stealing 130 bases in 143 attempts, including a 46-stolen-base season where he never got caught. EBJ collected 224 total hits, 31 doubles, 11 triples, 15 home runs, 108 RBIs and walked 131 times during his collegiate career.
Bradfield Jr. would have plenty of accomplishments in college, being named the SEC Freshman of the Tear in 2021, making multiple All American Teams and breaking the Vanderbilt stolen base record as a junior in 2023.
Heading into the 2023 MLB Draft, pundits were high on the kid from Pembroke Pines, Florida. He would be the 21st overall draft prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and was discussed as maybe a sleeper pick within the top 10 picks. He would eventually fall to the Orioles at the 17th overall pick.
EBJ would start off his career splitting time between the rookie ball team, Low-A Delmarva and High-A Aberdeen. In 25 total games, EBJ would slash .291/.473/.329 with a .802 OPS, collecting 23 hits, three doubles, six RBIs, 26 walks and 25 stolen bases in 27 attempts.
Bradfield would begin the 2024 season with the Aberdeen IronBirds, and he didn’t miss a beat. In 81 games, Bradfield Jr. hit .267/.345/.363 with a .708 OPS. He posted 81 hits, 14 doubles, three triples, three home runs and 26 RBIs. The 22-year-old also stole 59 bases in 68 attempts and walked 35 times, all while playing Gold Glove caliber defense in center field.
Bradfield Jr. is currently ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect on the Orioles’ top 30 list behind the likes of Jackson Holliday, Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo. He could be the perfect lead-off man for the Orioles down the stretch in 2025 when speed and contact are really needed the most.
If we’re doing comparisons, he’s a lot like a left-handed version of Jorge Mateo. Ultimate speed and base running and above average defense, with a bat that, when on, can spark the team in a major way.
Bradfield Jr. was just called up to Double-A Bowie along with fellow IronBirds teammates Reed Trimble and Tavian Josenberger. Keep an eye on the rest of this season to see how EBJ adjusts at this level.
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