1st-rounder Bradfield quickly welcomed by O’s

Baseball

Published 10.07.2023

1st-rounder Bradfield quickly welcomed by O’s

Orioles Draft decide Enrique Bradfield Jr. calls GM Mike Elias

n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”sort”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”wealthy”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”“I’ve known him since we were small, so for this to happen now and for us to be in the same organization is kind of something that’s like full circle,” Bradfield stated. “Our dads talk all the time.”nnThen, Bradfield obtained a congratulatory tweet from one of many biggest gamers in Baltimore’s wealthy baseball historical past — Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., who holds the AL/NL file for consecutive video games performed at 2,632.”,”sort”:”textual content”},{“__typename”:”OEmbed”,”html”:”

Thank you !! https://t.co/aLeQda3HMo

— Enrique Bradfield Jr. (@EBradfield20) July 10, 2023

nn”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”sort”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”wealthy”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”Ripken wasn’t the one former Oriole to tag Bradfield in a tweet. There was additionally one from Adam Jones, who seemed to be a fan of the choice made by Baltimore within the Draft’s first spherical.”,”sort”:”textual content”},{“__typename”:”OEmbed”,”html”:”

Thank you 10! Truly Blessed https://t.co/n5E5xZRBdN

— Enrique Bradfield Jr. (@EBradfield20) July 10, 2023

nn”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”sort”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”wealthy”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”Bradfield was fairly appreciative of his interactions with each Ripken and Jones.nn“It’s special, especially for guys like them to just congratulate a 21-year-old like me. They’re legends in the sport,” Bradfield stated. “Cal Ripken is somebody who has done something that nobody else has been able to do. And Adam Jones is a legend. I remember watching his highlights from the USA World Baseball Classic and him robbing home runs and making plays in center field. That’s where I see myself being in a couple of years, at that level.”nnPerhaps Bradfield will in the future obtain that objective by changing into an All-Star Gold Glover patrolling middle discipline for the Orioles. But he has a couple of years of labor forward earlier than reaching that objective.nnThat’s wonderful with Bradfield, who has no drawback with placing within the crucial time within the Minors and said that, with him, Baltimore is getting a “competitor.”nn“My love for this game is definitely next-level, and I feel like to have success at the professional level, it needs to be like that. I’m always committed. I’m disciplined to get the job done,” Bradfield stated. “So I have no concerns about going to the next level and not having success. I’ve been able to adapt to every level I’ve ever been at and be able to produce, and I feel like this one’s going to be no different.””,”sort”:”textual content”}],”contentType”:”news”,”subHeadline”:”No. 17 general decide beats GM Elias to the decision … then receives congrats from Hall of Famer”,”abstract”:”BALTIMORE — Enrique Bradfield Jr. is quick on his ft and quick together with his fingers, too, apparently.nBefore Orioles normal supervisor Mike Elias may attain out to tell Bradfield he was coming to Baltimore on Sunday night time — by way of the No. 17 general decide within the 2023 MLB Draft –“,”tagline({“formatString”:”none”})”:null,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”InternalTag”,”slug”:”storytype-article”,”title”:”Article”,”type”:”article”},{“__typename”:”ContributorTag”,”slug”:”jake-rill”,”title”:”Jake Rill”,”type”:”contributor”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-draft”,”title”:”MLB Draft”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-110″,”title”:”Baltimore Orioles”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:110″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-top-prospects”,”title”:”MLB Top Prospects”,”type”:”taxonomy”}],”sort”:”story”,”thumbnail”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/picture/add/{formatInstructions}/mlb/wiyy3e7tklhpulhvojzm”,”title”:”Orioles Draft decide Enrique Bradfield Jr. calls GM Mike Elias”}},”Team:110″:{“__typename”:”Team”,”id”:110},”Person:690961″:{“__typename”:”Person”,”id”:690961}}}
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No. 17 general decide beats GM Elias to the decision … then receives congrats from Hall of Famer

3:46 PM UTC

Before Orioles normal supervisor Mike Elias may attain out to tell Bradfield he was coming to Baltimore on Sunday night time — by way of the No. 17 general decide within the 2023 MLB Draft — Elias had an incoming name. It was from Bradfield.

Bradfield had no purpose to attend for Elias to name him, the standard order of occasions on Draft night time.

“My agent actually sent me over his number, so I took that as, ‘Hey, let me give him a call,’” Bradfield stated throughout a Zoom with the media Monday morning. “So I simply went forward and dialed the cellphone and gave him a name.”

Consider it an indication of how excited Bradfield is to be heading to an Orioles group that’s overflowing with younger expertise. The 21-year-old outfielder out of Vanderbilt University has been watching Baltimore’s huge league workforce thrive, and he’s conscious of the extremely regarded farm system he’d be becoming a member of upon signing with the O’s.

The Orioles are 54-35 on the All-Star break. They have eight gamers on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects record, together with No. 1 general prospect Jackson Holliday, who was the No. 1 general decide within the 2022 MLB Draft.

“They have a bunch of young guys out there who are playing really good baseball, really talented players,” Bradfield stated. “They’re all homegrown players, so the fact that the organization can really develop guys gives me a level of excitement for me to go in there and know that I’m going to get better every day and get to work.”

With 80-grade pace, Bradfield is exceptionally fast on the basepaths. Another approach he might be quick is together with his climb via Baltimore’s Minor League ranks, contemplating he’s coming from a storied SEC program the place he spent the previous three years taking part in towards top-level faculty competitors.

Bradfield set the Commodores’ program file for profession stolen bases (130) and posted a .311/.426/.447 slash line over 191 video games throughout his time at Vandy.

“He is a premium college player from the most premium conference there is, from the most premium program that there is,” Elias stated. “He’s arguably one of the best baserunners and best basestealers in recent college baseball history.”

Following the self-initiated introductory name with Elias on Sunday, Bradfield went on to have an eventful night time on Twitter.

First, Bradfield was welcomed to the Orioles’ group by infielder Coby Mayo, the membership’s No. 7 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 76 general prospect. Both are South Florida natives, and so they’re additionally good pals, having performed youth baseball collectively whereas rising up.

“I’ve known him since we were small, so for this to happen now and for us to be in the same organization is kind of something that’s like full circle,” Bradfield stated. “Our dads talk all the time.”

Then, Bradfield obtained a congratulatory tweet from one of many biggest gamers in Baltimore’s wealthy baseball historical past — Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., who holds the AL/NL file for consecutive video games performed at 2,632.

Ripken wasn’t the one former Oriole to tag Bradfield in a tweet. There was additionally one from Adam Jones, who seemed to be a fan of the choice made by Baltimore within the Draft’s first spherical.

Bradfield was fairly appreciative of his interactions with each Ripken and Jones.

“It’s special, especially for guys like them to just congratulate a 21-year-old like me. They’re legends in the sport,” Bradfield stated. “Cal Ripken is somebody who has done something that nobody else has been able to do. And Adam Jones is a legend. I remember watching his highlights from the USA World Baseball Classic and him robbing home runs and making plays in center field. That’s where I see myself being in a couple of years, at that level.”

Perhaps Bradfield will in the future obtain that objective by changing into an All-Star Gold Glover patrolling middle discipline for the Orioles. But he has a couple of years of labor forward earlier than reaching that objective.

That’s wonderful with Bradfield, who has no drawback with placing within the crucial time within the Minors and said that, with him, Baltimore is getting a “competitor.”

“My love for this game is definitely next-level, and I feel like to have success at the professional level, it needs to be like that. I’m always committed. I’m disciplined to get the job done,” Bradfield stated. “So I have no concerns about going to the next level and not having success. I’ve been able to adapt to every level I’ve ever been at and be able to produce, and I feel like this one’s going to be no different.”