When you watch Baltimore Orioles prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr., play the first thing that stands out is his elite speed on the base paths. That’s the main reason the Orioles used the 17th overall pick on him in the 2023 MLB Draft.
The talented former Vanderbilt Commodore star wreaked havoc on SEC opponents with that speed. It’s also why he’s recorded 69 stolen bases this season between High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Bowie.
The one area the 6-foot-1 and 170-pounder knew he’d need to improve was at the plate, despite hitting a solid .311 over three collegiate seasons,
Bradfield knew he’d need to fix his mechanics at the plate. In 124 career games at the minor league level EBJ is batting a respectable .271 with 122 hits, 37 RBI and three homers.
Not known for his power he’s also tallied a total of 19 doubles and triples (5.).
For an area that figured to be a bit of a concern for EBJ coming into the pros, he’s really been steady.
Boasting a slash line of .274/.355/.375 thus far in his minor league career, EBJ recently did an interview with Glenn Clark Radio where he talked about his bat.
“I know the caliber of hitter I am. I’m going to be the guy that gets on base a lot, but I do have the potential to do some damage as well — hit the ball in the gap, doubles, triples, run into a ball and it’s going to leave. It’s being able to consistently do that, that I’ve been working toward. It’s been a little bit of a stance adjustment, some different swing focuses, swing cues to get me moving in the right way. It’s just been a constant build, even last year in Delmarva to the offseason. It’s just been a constant evolution. I’m excited for what it can look like in the next year.”
While Bradfield will never be mistaken for a power hitter, if he can do what he’s doing now and continue to evolve as a hitter, with his speed, he can be a real foundational piece for the surging Orioles going forward.
Bradfield Believes He Can Put Together 100-Steal Season
As he continues to climb the minor league ladder, EBJ is already thinking about making history once he arrives in the majors.
The speedster also told Glenn Clark Radio that he envisions himself stealing 100 bases in a season. That’s something that hasn’t been done since 1987 when former major leaguer Vince Coleman stole 109 bases.
“I think it’s very much a possibility. I think it’s more than a possibility in my mind. I think there is going to be a year and there are going to be years where that number is right there in my reach.”
With the type of speed and base running skills that EBJ possesses, it could happen.
One of the Baltimore Orioles’ young prospects hoping to join the major leagues in the coming years is Enrique Bradfield Jr. The talented speedster who was taken by the Birds with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft by way of NCAA powerhouse Vanderbilt. He received a nice $4.17 million slot bonus for where he was selected.
Since his arrival to the club, EBJ has flourished. He played in 25 games last season with the Orioles rookie, Single-A and High Single-A affiliates.
He began this season with the High-A Aberdeen Ironbirds, and he’s been must-see television. In less than two seasons in the minors he’s stolen 48 bases including 23 in just 31 games this season while being thrown out just four times. In totality he’s only been caught stealing six times in 54 attempts in less than two seasons.
That’s not really surprising when consider he stole 130 bases in 143 attempts at Vandy including a perfect 46-for-46 in 2022.
In a recent interview with MLB.com EBJ talked about how his attention to detail has changed since being in the minors and even moving up from rookie to Single-A and now High Single-A.
“I just pay attention to smaller details, and that’s going back to the time I spent at Vanderbilt. When I showed up there, I was just a guy with speed, but I really didn’t know how to use it. Being able to work around the staff and learn from them, that gave me all the confidence I needed to be able to look at minor details, come up with a game plan, do research and then go into the game and just be free and play.”
Those minor details have not only helped EBJ on the basepaths but also at the plate. Thus far this season he’s raking in the batter’s box with a slash line of .270/.346/.383 with ten extra-base knocks and six RBI.
"Before you know it, he's going to end up on third base."
Fresh off winning their first AL East title since 2014, the Baltimore Orioles are hoping to win consecutive division titles for the first time since 1969-1971 and 1973-74, when they won five in six seasons.
They’re also hoping to win their first AL Pennant since 1983 when they also won the last of their three World Series. At (42-22) the Birds have are tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the second-best record in the AL trailing only the New York Yankees by (2.5 games) and third-best record in all of MLB behind the Phillies and Yanks. None of this would be possible without the infusion of young talent the Birds have accrued over the years.
End Goal For EBJ Is The Majors, Whenever That May Come
As part of his paying close attention to minor details, EBJ has also learned to be patient. He knows baseball is a sport where reps and preparation are most important.
“The end goal is the Major Leagues, so in order for that to happen I would have to jump some levels. I’m just trying to take it day-by-day, get better one percent. I can’t build this thing overnight. I’m going to need these experiences so I can fall back on them when I’m at the higher levels.”
With an expected call up still two years away (2026), EBJ has plenty of time to perfect his craft before arriving to the big leagues to help an Orioles team that should be contenders for years to come.
The steadily rising Baltimore Orioles fresh off winning its first AL East division title since 2014, have stockpiled talent in abundance. It’s one thing to have the No.1 ranked prospect (Jackson Holliday) in all of MLB according to MLB Pipeline.
But that’s just the beginning for this club, who also have the speedy Enrique Bradfield Jr., the club’s No.5 ranked prospect in the fold among other talented youngsters working their way up to the majors.
Outside of Holliday, who’s the son of former NL MVP and seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, Bradfield Jr., may possess the biggest upside. Blessed with the type of speed that can change games while giving pitchers and catchers fits, EBJ is a huge piece of the club’s very bright future. As he enters his second season with the High-A Aberdeen Ironbirds of the South Atlantic League, Bradfield Jr. is focused doing what he does best and improving on his weaknesses.
EBJ Models Game After Former MLB Greats
When the Orioles made EBJ the 17th overall pick in last year’s MLB Draft, they saw what everyone else did; a base stealing savant. In his three seasons at college baseball powerhouse Vanderbilt, EBJ stole 130 bases at a 91 percent success rate.
When asked about his speed and style in a recent spring training interview in Sarasota, Florida, EBJ said:
“I would say it was about when I was 10 or 11 that I really recognized that. It’s always been a part of who I am, but I wouldn’t say it’s everything to what I do. I was gifted a beautiful gift from God and at the same time too I have worked very hard to where I am at. And also, there are other factors like a support system with my family, my parents, my sister and countless coaches I could name that all impacted me.”
“There are a lot of people I look at from past years and also some that are playing now that I’d like to model my game after. I’d say when I can watch Kenny Lofton or a guy like Rickey Henderson who had tremendous speed. Another player like that would be Juan Pierre, who I’ve gotten to know and build a relationship with.
“He’s been awesome in our conversations. And I look at a guy playing right now, and I look at Corbin Carroll and I love his style of play. What he brings to the game with his speed, bat and defense, I think it’s very complete. For someone like me, I look at a guy like him and that is kind of what I envision for myself.”
Enrique Bradfield Jr Studies The Greats Of Yesterday and Today
Modeling his game after greats like Henderson and Lofton shows how much Bradfield pays attention. But to include someone like Pierre and then a current player like Corbin proves that Bradfield is definitely a student of the game.
Speed And Defense Is EBJ’s Game
In time spent with Low-A Delmarva and High-A Aberdeen last season, Bradfield only had three extra-base knocks (all doubles) in 110 plate appearances. Despite that he maintained a very respectable .291/.473/.329/.802 slash line with 26 walks to 16 strikeouts. He also went 25 for 27 (92.5 percent) on stolen base attempts, further proving why he’s such a coveted prospect for the Orioles.
As he works to continue to develop power to go along with that elite speed, EBJ will become even more of a force at the plate. With an expected 2026 call up he has plenty of time to get that rectified.
Enrique Bradfield Jr is an all-around force for Vanderbilt Baseball, but this future MLBbro’s wild card skill is his ability to swipe bases at an all-time rate. Charles Nyonga with the scoop on this special talent for TakeThat!
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