Jackie Bradley Jr.

At 34 years old, Jackie Bradley Jr. has this physical status:

Jackie Bradley Jr. (born April 19, 1990), also known as JBJ, is an American professional baseball center fielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB).

He stands 5 foot 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighs 200 pounds (91 kg).

After being selected as the 2010 College World Series Most Outstanding Player while attending the University of South Carolina, he was drafted by the Red Sox with the 40th overall pick in the 2011 MLB draft.

He made his MLB debut in 2013 and was on the 40-man roster for the 2013 World Series champions, but not in the postseason.

Bradley debuted in 2016 as the Most Valuable Player of the 2018 American League Championship Series, and he was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2018 American League Championship Series.

In 2018, he was recognized for his outfield capabilities.

Personal life

Bradley is naturally right-handed, but he learned to drive left-handed when he was eight years old.

He is the son of Jackie Bradley Sr., a Richmond, Virginia bus driver. Both Bradley Jr. and Bradley Sr. were named after singer Jackie Wilson.

Bradley is married to Erin Heiring. A daughter was born in June 2016, a son in December 2020, and another daughter in June 2022.

Bradley writes "M.S." before each batsman. William Matthew "Matt" Saye, a high school classmate who died in a 2011 car crash, is buried in the dirt in honor of his friend Matthew "Matt" Saye, a 2011 car accident student. "You never know what the next day will be like if there is a next day," Bradley, who was close to Saye, said. Since my best friend died in August, it was all about me. To me, he looked like a brother. I was regarded as his only living brother in his obituary. He was also a different race (white). That's how close we were. I know he has my back and he's here to help me."

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Amateur career

In Prince George, Virginia, Bradley attended Prince George High School. He was selected by Baseball America as the 40th best Virginia-based baseball prospect for the 2008 Major League Baseball draft.

Bradley began his college baseball career with the South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team in 2009. Bradley scored 69 runs in 63 games played as a freshman. He hit 11 home runs while walking 34 times and striking out 31 times, with a slugging percentage of.537. He appeared in collegiate summer baseball with the Cape Cod Baseball League's Hyannis Mets.

Bradley batted.368 and 13 home runs in 2010, averaging 60 runs in 60 games. In the 2010 College World Series (CWS), then went 10-for-29 (.345) at the plate, winning CWS Most Outstanding Player awards.

Professional career

In the 2011 Major League Baseball draft's supplemental first round, the Boston Red Sox selected Bradley for the 40th overall pick. Bradley made his professional debut on August 23, 2011 with the Class-A Short Season Lowell Spinners, who earned.250 in ten games split between the Spinners and Single-A Greenville Drive. Bradley was named Minor League Defensive Player of the Year by the Red Sox organization for the 2012 season. In 128 games, he hit.315 with 55 extra-base hits, 87 walks, and 63 RBIs.

Bradley was ranked 32nd overall on the MLB Top 100 Prospects list in 2013. Bradley will be the Opening Day left fielder at Yankee Stadium on April 1 after an outstanding spring preparations, according to manager John Farrell on March 31, who confirmed Bradley would be the Opening Day left fielder. Bradley, who went hitless in two at-batches, had three walks, scored two runs, drove in one run, and made a few hustle plays on the basepath and in the field in the Red Sox' 8-2 victory over the New York Yankees.

Bradley went 3-for-31 with three RBIs in Boston before being optioned to the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox on April 19; Bradley was demoted to accommodate David Ortiz, who was recovering from a right Achilles injury during the 2013 season. Bradley was reinstated on May 29. On June 4, he scored his first home run against the Texas Rangers, his first home run in his career. On June 8, Bradley was called back to Pawtucket after Shane Victorino was activated from the disabled list. On July 9, he was recalled again and optioned back to Pawtucket on July 14. He was released on September 7. Bradley batted.189 with three home runs, 10 RBI, and two stolen bases in 37 Major League games this year. The Red Sox ended the year with a 97–65 record and clinched the AL East division. As the team went on to win the 2013 World Series, Bradley was not on Boston's postseason roster.

Bradley was drafted to Triple-A Pawtucket on March 28, 2014, after he was unable to top Grady Sizemore for the starting center field position, but the team called Shane Victorino on the 15-day disabled list. Bradley saw regular action as the team's center fielder through the 2014 season, appearing in 127 games, but was suspended on August 18 after playing outstanding defense. He had a.198 batting average, with one home run and 30 RBIs, putting the season in perspective.

Bradley split time between Boston and Pawtucket in the 2015 season. Hanley Ramrez recovered from a sore wrist injury while he was called up to play right field for the Red Sox on June 25, while Hanley Ramrez recovered with a sore wrist. Bradley made his first home run since May 31, 2014 in a game against Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marco Estrada on June 30. Bradley was only the eighth player in the modern era with five extra-base hits in a single game, totaling two home runs and three doubles in six at-bats in the Red Sox's 22–10 victory over the Seattle Mariners on August 15, 2015. From late July to the end of the season, he was a regular starter for Boston. Bradley played in 74 MLB games during the 2015 season, batting.249 with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs.

Bradley played in 29 games in a row from April 24 to May 25, tying Johnny Damon for the fourth longest hitting streak in Red Sox history. Bradley's streak came to an end on May 26 after losing to the Colorado Rockies. He was batting.222 when he started his hitting streak, and when it came, his average had risen to.350. For May, his streak, as well as solid defense, earned him AL Player of the Month award. Bradley was chosen to the All-Star Game, the first time he has played. He started in left field and was 2-for-2 at the plate. Having played in 156 games, he ended the 2016 season with a.267 batting average, 26 home runs, and 87 RBIs. He batted 1-for-ten (.100) as Boston lost to the Cleveland Indians in the Division Series in the 2016 season.

Bradley renamed his uniform number to 19, which had not been worn by Koji Uehara since 2013.

Bradley was thrown to the ground after heading out and leaving the game on April 8, 2017. Bradley was diagnosed with a sprain to his right knee. Bradley was also on the 10-day disabled list two days later, on April 10. Bradley suffered his left thumb while sliding toward home plate and leaving the game on August 22, but he continued to the game. Bradley was put on the 10-day disabled list the next day, after spraining his left thumb. Bradley played in 133 games in the 2017 regular season, batting.245 with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs. As the Red Sox lost to the Houston Astros in the Division Series in the playoffs, he was 3-for-15 (.200) with a home run and five RBIs.

Bradley was back in the Red Sox as the everyday center fielder, drew national attention for his outstanding defense, but the Red Sox didn't have a problem at mid-August. Bradley homered twice in the first game of a day-night doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles on August 11, giving the Red Sox a 5–0 victory. Bradley struggled offensively this season, achieving.234 with 13 home runs 59 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 144 games.

Bradley led Boston by a single run in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros on October 14, giving Boston a 5–4 advantage in a game that they would go on to win, 7–5. In Game 3, he stole a grand slam off Roberto Osuna in the top of the eighth inning, extending Boston's lead from 4–2 to 8–2, which would be the final score. Josh James scored a two-run go-ahead home run off Josh James in the top of the sixth inning, bringing the Red Sox up 6–5 en route to the 8-6-7 final. Bradley had nine RBIs, all from those three hits, and was named the Most Valuable Player of the American League Championship Series. The Red Sox won the World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers after going 3-for-13 in the World Series. Bradley was named with the Rawlings Gold Glove Award later in the year.

Bradley played in 147 games with 21 home runs and 62 RBIs in Boston in 2019. He made contact with the lowest number of pitches he swung at in the strike zone (76.4%) of all major league batters (76.4%). He led all American center fielders in assists with 10, had the fastest reaction, but took the wrong path of all major league outfielders (-2.0 vs. average). Bradley's over-the-wall catch of a Trey Mancini drive on May 8 was voted number one on MLB Network's Top 100 Plays of 2019, while number two on the list was an over-the-wall catch by Stevie Wilkerson on a drive that Bradley took on on September 29.

Bradley was once more Boston's primary center fielder during the start of the 2020 season. With seven home runs and 22 RBIs in 55 games, he batted.283 in the 2020 Red Sox. Bradley was elected free agency on October 28, 2010.

Bradley officially agreed to a two-year, $24 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers on March 8, 2021. With 6 home runs and 29 RBIs, he played in 134 games for the 2021 Brewers, batting.163 with 6 home runs and 29 RBIs. His batting average was the lowest among MLB players with at least 324 plate appearances. He played in 117 games in the outfield and 89 as the center fielder.

In exchange for Hunter Renfroe, the Brewers traded Bradley, David Hamilton, and Alex Binelas to the Red Sox on December 1, 2021. Bradley played mainly as a right fielder for Boston in the 2022 season, with occasional appearances in center field. He appeared on the paternity list for a brief period of time in early June as his wife gave birth to their third child. Bradley made his major-league debut at Fenway on July 8 when he defeated the Yankees by 12–5 loss at Fenway, and took out two-time batting champion DJ LeMahieu with a 67-mile-per-hour (108 km/h) pitch. Bradley was released by the Red Sox on August 4, becoming a free agent, only after the team acquired Tommy Pham and Eric Hosmer. Bradley batted.210 with three home runs and 29 RBIs in 91 games with Boston.

Bradley signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays on August 9, 2022. He batted.178 with one home run and nine RBIs from his first 40 games with the Blue Jays through the season, giving him a total.203 average for the 2022 season. Bradley was also nominated for a Gold Glove Award last year.

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