Jackie Bradley

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #3 prospect in 2014
  After a stellar first full season in 2012, Bradley dazzled in 2013 spring training and opened the year in the big league lineup. He struggled there but rebounded at Triple-A Pawtucket to show a leadoff hitter's skills and impact defense in center field, which translated to improvement in his subsequent two big league callups. While he showed pull power in 2013, Bradley does so at the expense of his plate discipline and line-to-line hitting approach. After being beaten by inside fastballs in his first big league callup, he showed signs during 2013 of addressing that deficiency. Evaluators are convinced his aptitude, pitch recognition and strike-zone awareness will permit him to make the necessary adjustments. Though not a burner, Bradley's instincts permit him to get great breaks while taking strong routes to the ball, resulting in outstanding defense in center field. Bradley is capable of replacing Jacoby Ellsbury as the everyday center fielder in 2014 and could grow into an above-average regular. At worst, his defense suggests a floor of a valuable part-time outfielder.
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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #2 prospect in 2013
  The Most Outstanding Player at the 2010 College World Series, Bradley slipped to No. 40 in 2011 after a wrist injury and lower production with toned-down NCAA bats. Signed for $1.1 million, he regained his form in 2012. The Red Sox named him their minor league defensive player of the year, while managers rated him as having the best bat, plate discipline, baserunning skills, outfield defense and outfield arm in the high Class A Carolina League before his promotion in June. Bradley is an outstanding center fielder who can run down almost any ball, thanks to his quickness and instincts, and he has a plus arm as a bonus. An on-base machine with quick hands, Bradley works deep counts and sprays line drives to all fields. He has enough power to hit 10-15 homers annually, though it can make him too pull-conscious at times. He's an average runner whose speed plays up on the basepaths. The Red Sox love his competitive makeup, which sparked consecutive national championships at South Carolina. Ticketed for Triple-A to start 2013, Bradley has no major adjustments to make. He's a better center fielder than Jacoby Ellsbury, who becomes a free agent after 2013.
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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #10 prospect in 2012
  Bradley looked like a surefire first-round pick after hitting .368 with 13 homers in 2010, when he was named Most Outstanding Player at the College World Series. He became too homer-conscious as college baseball toned down its metal bats last spring, and he missed two months after injuring a tendon in his left wrist. Though he batted just .247 with six homers in 2011, Bradley's center-field prowess was too much for the Red Sox to pass up with the 40th overall pick. He won a second straight CWS with South Carolina before signing for $1.1 million at the deadline. Few players cover center field as well as Bradley, who has average stopwatch speed but superb instincts. He has a strong arm for the position, too, and his stellar defense will take some pressure off his bat. Bradley is at his best offensively when he stays inside the ball and uses the opposite field. He's not physical, but he has a sound lefthanded stroke, a good grasp of the strike zone and average power. His speed plays up on the bases as it does in the outfield. If Bradley gets back to his old self at the plate, he could reach Boston by the end of 2013. He could open his first full pro season in high Class A and finish it in Double-A.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked International League #8 prospect in 2013
  The heir apparent in center field if the Red Sox don?t re-sign free agent Jacoby Ellsbury this offseason, Bradley?s quickness and instincts enable him to track down flyballs in both gaps. A top-of-the-order catalyst, he?s capable of 15-plus homers with a quick, direct swing, though he?ll make his money in the majors by getting on base and wreaking havoc on the basepaths. Bradley likes to work the count for walks and doesn?t give in versus lefties, shortening his swing and hitting .267/.383/.386 at Triple-A this season. The high-energy, lefthanded batter is used to big-time pressure, playing a key role in South Carolina?s back-to-back College World Series championships. Bradley made the Opening Day roster for the Red Sox this year, then made three more appearances with them over the summer before sticking as a September callup.
• 
  Ranked Eastern League #5 prospect in 2012
  The 40th overall pick in 2011, Bradley may prove to be the steal of the draft after adjusting quickly to the pro game. He batted .359/.480/.526 and led the minors in on-base percentage with high Class A Salem during the first half, and he continued to electrify onlookers in the second half at Portland. He has prototype center-field tools, with plus hitting ability, strike-zone discipline and range. "He's an obvious plus lefthanded hitter with hand speed through the zone and hitting rhythm," Portland manager Kevin Boles said. "He plays well above the game speed, and he looks like he will thrive on the big stage."" While Bradley has solid gap power, he can get a little pull-happy at times. Though he's an average runner on the stopwatch, he has above-average speed underway and uses it uses judiciously on the basepaths and in the outfield. He has solid arm strength but needs to improve his accuracy.
• 
  Ranked Carolina League #4 prospect in 2012
  After an injury-plagued junior year at South Carolina contributed to his slide to the 40th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Bradley showed what he could do when healthy. He was leading the league in hitting (.359) and on-base percentage (.480) when promoted to Double-A at midseason, and managers rated him the circuit's best defensive outfielder. With his feel for the strike zone and ability to work counts and make consistent line-drive contact, Bradley has the makings of a true leadoff hitter: His sound lefthanded stroke generates doubles power and shows home run pop to his pull side at times. He has average speed but plus quickness, which combined with his skill at reading pitchers allows him to steal bases. Bradley gets exceptional jumps, takes precise routes and covers a lot of ground in center field. He has a strong arm that also earned recognition as the league's best. He relentlessly works on his defense, shooing pitchers out of his way as he shags balls during batting practice, and opposing managers praised his dedication.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #50 prospect in 2014
• Ranked Baseball America's #31 prospect in 2013

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: The Most Outstanding Player at the 2010 College World Series, Bradley slipped to No. 40 in 2011 after a wrist injury and lower production with toned-down NCAA bats. Signed for $1.1 million, he regained his form in 2012. The Red Sox named him their minor league defensive player of the year, while managers rated him as having the best bat, plate discipline, baserunning skills, outfield defense and outfield arm in the high Class A Carolina League before his promotion in June. Scouting Report: Bradley is an outstanding center fielder who can run down almost any ball, thanks to his quickness and instincts, and he has a plus arm as a bonus. An on-base machine with quick hands, Bradley works deep counts and sprays line drives to all fields. He has enough power to hit 10-15 homers annually, though it can make him too pull-conscious at times. He's an average runner whose speed plays up on the basepaths. The Red Sox love his competitive makeup, which sparked consecutive national championships at South Carolina. The Future: Ticketed for Triple-A to start 2013, Bradley has no major adjustments to make. He's a better center fielder than Jacoby Ellsbury, who becomes a free agent after 2013.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Bradley looked like a surefire first-round pick after hitting .368 with 13 homers in 2010, when he was Most Outstanding Player at the College World Series. He became too homer-conscious as college baseball toned down its metal bats last spring, and he missed two months after injuring a tendon in his left wrist. Though he batted just .247 with six homers in 2011, Bradley's center-field prowess was too much for the Red Sox to pass up with the 40th overall pick. He won a second straight CWS with South Carolina before signing for $1.1 million at the deadline. Scouting Report: Few players cover center field as well as Bradley, who has average stopwatch speed but superb instincts. He has a strong arm for the position, too, and his stellar defense will take some pressure off his bat. Bradley is at his best offensively when he stays inside the ball and uses the opposite field. He's not physical, but he has a sound lefthanded stroke, a good grasp of the strike zone and average power. His speed plays up on the bases as it does in the outfield. The Future: If Bradley gets back to his old self at the plate, he could reach Boston by the end of 2013. He could open his first full pro season in high Class A and finish it in Double-A.