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.
They are all known for swinging dangerous bats, swiping bases and driving in runs. In fact, Henderson, Davis and Lofton were the only players to reach double-digit home runs and 40-stolen bases through the season’s first 84 games.
MLBbros Set The Tone For Speed/Power Combination
Before Acuna, who is in the midst of a 16-game hitting streak, joined this exclusive group, it had only been done five times in MLB history, with The “Man of Steal” Henderson accomplishing the feat in 1985, 1986 and 1990 as a member of the NY Yankees and Oakland Athletics.
“ED” did it in 1986 as a member of the Reds, and Lofton, the former Arizona Wildcats two-sport star, accomplished this rare feat in 1994 as a member of the Cleveland Indians.
Acuña joins Rickey Henderson, Eric Davis & Kenny Lofton as only players w/ 40+ SB & 10+ HR thru team's first 84 G. He's the only w/ 40+SB & 20+ HR
But even as great as those five magical starts to a season were from a hitting, base stealing and run producing standpoint, what Acuna Jr. did tops all. In fact, RAC Jr., became the first player in history to hit at least 20 homers, while stealing at least 40 bases and producing at least 50 RBIs through his team’s first 84 games.
Following his big night Acuna Jr., via his interpreter, had this to say.
“I’m super happy to be honest. I’m really happy for the way the season has been panning out for me and my team,”
As he should be, because his Atlanta Braves are 57-28 which is the best record in all of baseball. And the play of Acuna Jr. has been the catalyst to the great start in “HotLanta.”
This is the best Acuna Jr., has looked since 2021 when he tore his ACL in July. Up until that point he had 24 homers, 52 RBI and 17 stolen bases. In 2023, he’s more than tripled his stolen base output from that season and we are just entering the All-Star break.
Ronald Acuña Jr. continues to make the extraordinary look easy.
Acuna’s also already surpassed his home run (15), RBI (50) stolen base total (29) from 2022, as he played in just 119 games in his return from the torn ACL.
Incredible numbers when you consider he was coming off such a devastating injury, but that puts this amazing start to the 2023 season into even more perspective.
Acuna Jr. is walking in rarified air, and what’s scary is he’s just getting started.
Acuna Sets Sights On Henderson Feat
While it’s farfetched to think Acuna Jr., or anyone will ever catch Henderson’s single season stolen base mark of 130 in 1982, there is another record that Henderson holds that’s within Acuna’s sights.
Since 1988, no player has stolen more than 84 bases in a season, and that was Henderson himself with 93. Can Acuna Jr. eclipse that mark?
Probably not, but when you possess the swagger, skill and talent that Acuna does, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on. He’s combining skills that we usually see exhibited by the Bros. He also carries the same attitude that Rickey, ED and Lofton all had in their primes. That SWAGGER. The belief that I’m the best at what I do.
Miami Marlins budding superstar Jazz Chisholm Jr. is without question the face of the franchise down in South Florida, and this season his star-power is set to soar even higher.
Already the poster boy for this year’s MLB The Show 2023, the official video game of Major League Baseball, there was another announcement this offseason that could add even more cache to his name. Fresh off his first All-Star campaign as a second baseman, the Marlins announced that he will switch positions and man centerfield for Miami this season.
In his first game at the position, Jazz took the collar (0-for-4, 2 Ks) in a 5-3 Miami Marlins loss to the New York Mets on Opening Day. However, better days are surely ahead for the Marlins star with 161 games to go.
Naturally, people immediately questioned the idea of moving someone who has played infield their entire lives to the outfield, but the idea to make the switch was actually made by Jazz himself.
“I mean it was really my decision,” said Chisholm during a media session in Miami. “So it wasn’t really a like time to be like, ‘oh I’m probably gonna go train because they’re gonna put me in the outfield.’ It was more like, ‘Ok imma go in the outfield because I want to win.”
This quote reminded me of what Jazz said when he spoke to me for MLBBro.com at the beginning of last season in regard to a different position change. As we all know, Chisholm came up as a shortstop and that was his preferred position, but the ‘Bahamian Blur ‘ was willing to switch positions in order to win.
“I just started playing second base when I got to the big leagues. I do have a preference of shortstop, but learning a new position ain’t bad.”
Jazz’s words turned out to be prophetic, as he adapts to another position in the pros in order to help the Marlins bring winning baseball back to Little Havana. He has already made it known that he plans to bring the same mentality that helped him turn heads at second to his new position, even predicting a Gold Glove.
“Like I remember last year when I went out there and I did my early work every day before games, I would always learn every field that I’ve been on. I feel like that helped me a lot defensively, so I just plan on doing that everyday again. Just going out there taking a couple steps on the warning track before the game, figure it out a little bit and then go and play.”
Moving from second base to centerfield alters the pantheon of MLBbros that Chisholm will enter, as some of the greatest Black players of all-time have manned the position. Names like Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Torii Hunter and Kenny Lofton; these are some legendary leather flashers he can look to for inspiration.
Hall of Famer Tim Raines Made The Switch
Now, the players we mentioned before had played the position their entire lives, but there is another OG MLBbro who not only made the switch from second base to outfield, but he also played the position well enough to make it all the way to Cooperstown. Montreal Expos great Tim Raines came up as a second baseman in their farm system before becoming an outfielder full time in 1985. Raines went on to become a seven-time All Star, Silver Slugger and two-time World Series Champion.
Chisholm still has work to do in order to accomplish the things that these greats have done, and the first step to that will be staying healthy the majority of the season. That was the one knock on his last season, as injuries allowed him to compete in only 60 games last season.
It’s so funny when I play 155 games this year the bandwagon gonna be so real and I don’t wanna hear it!! Your tweets have been bookmarked! #keepdoubting
Rob Parker remembers the underrated MLBbro Kenny Lofton, whose combination of speed, hitting and masterful base running definitely showed up in the postseason.
Before his 17-year career as a six-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner, and five-time stolen base champion, Kenny Lofton crossed through the Delta Omicron Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi as a college student at the University of Arizona in 1987.
With 622 base swipes, Lofton was one of baseball’s most recognized names in the ’90s, most remembered for his peak years with the Cleveland Indians (who he played with on three different occasions).
He also played for the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Texas Rangers during his nomadic career.
He also played in an era where Black baseball stars were dynamic, and plentiful, multi-faceted and very marketable, with many exhibiting speed and athletics that enhanced their overall game and captivated the fans — even when homers weren’t being hit.
Lofton was born and raised in East Chicago, Indiana. The multi-talented athlete was an all-state basketball player and pitcher/center fielder at Washington High School.
He accepted a basketball scholarship to attend the University of Arizona, where he played on a team with current Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and even made it to the the1988 Final Four.
In his junior year of college, the itch to once again play baseball became too much shy away from so he walked-on to the baseball team at Zona. Although he only played five games he was recognized by scouts and was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 17th round of the 1988 MLB draft. Lofton then went on to play in the minor leagues after graduating with a degree in studio production. He made his MLB debut with the Astros in 1991.
Lofton is one of two men to play in a World Series and NCAA Final Four (1988).
During his career, Lofton was arguably the second-best leadoff hitter in the game behind the electrifying Rickey Henderson. He retired just eight hits shy of being a .300 hitter over his 17-year career. His 68.4 WAR ranks ninth among centerfielders all-time. Six of the eight players ahead of him are enshrined in Cooperstown at the Baseball Hall of Fame. The two not in are Mike Trout and Carlos Beltran.
The fleet-footed Lofton compiled a .299 batting average with 130 home runs, 116 triples, 1,528 runs scored in 2,103 games played. He was a tremendous defensive centerfielder with elite range.
Lofton currently runs a film production company called Film Pool Inc. There are few players of his ilk in the history of the game.
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