Enrique Bradfield Jr. knows professional baseball will be an adjustment. “The game is fast,” he said.
But so is he.
Bradfield, the speedy outfielder out of Vanderbilt who the Orioles selected No. 17 overall Sunday night in the first round of the MLB draft, said during his introductory press conference that he’s confident he’ll hit the ground running to begin his professional career in Baltimore’s minor league system.
“I have no concerns about going up to the next level and not having success,” Bradfield said. “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.”
Bradfield, who Baseball America ranked as the 16th-best prospect in the draft, was surprised the Orioles selected him because he didn’t have much communication with the organization during the predraft process. While becoming an Oriole “definitely came as a shock,” that didn’t damper the 21-year-old’s excitement to join the No. 1 farm system in the sport.
“It was meant to be,” he said. “I am where I need to be, and I’m glad the Orioles gave me the opportunity.”
“I’m excited,” Bradfield added. “Watching the Orioles in the big leagues right now, they have a bunch of young guys out there who are playing really good baseball, really talented players. They’re all homegrown players. The fact that the organization can really develop guys gives me a level of excitement for me to go there and know that I’m going to get better every day.”
Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said Sunday night that Bradfield wasn’t one of the eight to 10 players Elias saw in person. “I didn’t need to,” Elias said, noting how often Vanderbilt, perhaps the best college baseball program in the nation, plays on television.
In Bradfield, the Orioles are getting one of the most consistent performers at the top of the college level. He played 191 games across three seasons, posting similar numbers each year and displaying elite contact ability, base stealing ability and center field defense.
“We pour a ton of data analysis resources into college statistics and college data, so anytime we can take an elite college player, we feel good about the work that’s gone into that,” Elias said. “I think what’s rare in this case that has us excited is the physical tools that he has. Oftentimes, college kids, the top performers, are just less toolsy than the high school players, but this guy is a plus-plus runner and he can defend with anybody and he’s got some strength and some pop in his body. That plus an elite performance resume adds up to a nice first-round pick for us.”
He walked more than he struck out — an impressive feat, even at the college level — in all three seasons with a career on-base percentage of .426. He walked 131 times and stole 130 bases on 143 attempts in his career.
“I think whenever you have a player that comes into the SEC and walks more than he strikes out for three consecutive years, that’s the type of guy that you want hitting at the top of your lineup,” Orioles director of draft operations Brad Ciolek said. “I know in the past few drafts we’ve taken a lot of guys that have some power production and this is a little bit of a different look, but having that guy at the top of the lineup wreak havoc on the basepaths and play a double-plus defense in center field really makes you feel good as far as the entire package that you’re getting. He’s the type of guy that you probably hate playing against and love having him if he’s on your team.”
To progress through the minors, Bradfield will have to learn how to quickly adapt to new levels. Elias said Bradfield will likely start his professional career in the Florida Complex League before ending the season in Low-A Delmarva — the typical path for a first-round selection.
The last time Bradfield had to learn a new level, he handled it with aplomb. At 19 years old in 2021, he hit .336 and stole 47 bases for Vanderbilt while playing in perhaps the best college baseball conference.
Baseball America gave Bradfield an 80 grade, the highest on the scouting scale, for his defense and speed, but whether his hitting ability, specifically his power, will adapt to higher levels remains a question. This spring, Bradfield had his worst offensive season at Vanderbilt, hitting .279 — nearly 50 points worse than his average over his first two seasons — and he totaled just 15 home runs in 896 plate appearances.
“Offensively, I know I’m going to be able to adapt to the next level,” Bradfield said. “Obviously, I didn’t have the best year last year at Vanderbilt, but you have to look at it with a grain of salt. I also was very unlucky, I hit the ball hard and just didn’t find the holes. I feel like going forward I’m going to be fine.”
Considering a high school player Elias drafted a year ago is now in Double-A, he said he’s “stopped trying to predict” which players will be fast risers. However, he expects Bradfield to “transition to pro ball pretty smoothly.”
“I definitely have no reason to believe that he won’t move quickly, but we’ll see when he gets in there,” Elias said.
After Bradfield was drafted, current and former members of the organization congratulated him on social media, including third base prospect Coby Mayo. Bradfield and Mayo, who was promoted to Triple-A on Sunday, played on the same youth baseball team in Florida when they were 11 years old.
“Coby is a good friend, I’ve known him since we were small,” Bradfield said. “For this to happen now and for us to be in the same organization is something that’s like full circle.”
Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. and five-time All-Star Adam Jones were also among those who welcomed Bradfield to Baltimore on social media. He hopes to one day play on the same field they did.
“It’s special, especially for guys like that to just congratulate a 21-year-old like me,” he said. “They’re legends in the sport. 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.”
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