Jackie Bradley Jr. Only Looking Forward with PawSox
Published on April 8, 2015 under International League (IL1)
Pawtucket Red Sox News Release
For Jackie Bradley Jr., it all comes down to a balance of how much to forget.
From an offensive standpoint, at least, Bradley would be happy to forget last season ever happened. He hit a meager .198 with a .265 on-base percentage and a .266 slugging percentage, ranking him near the bottom among major-league hitters in all three categories. His slugging percentage was the lowest by an any major-league outfielder since 1987.
The subpar offensive production was what got him sent back to Triple-A Pawtucket in mid-August last season, and it was the reason he was standing at McCoy Stadium on Tuesday rather than in Philadelphia with the Red Sox -- the first time since 2012 he's opened a season somewhere other than with the Red Sox. An ability to play center field at a level rivaled by few in the major leagues wasn't enough to keep him there with the offensive numbers he posted.
Asking Bradley what he took from that experience, however, makes clear he's not about to dwell on it.
"I learned how to forget, to move on," he said. "You've got to let things go. I'm going to press forward."
To PawSox manager Kevin Boles, however, Bradley shouldn't forget too much.
To Boles, Bradley shouldn't forget what made him the No. 40 overall pick in the 2011 draft. He shouldn't forget what allowed him to hit .271 with a .373 on-base percentage in a half-season at Double-A Portland in 2012 -- a team Boles managed -- or to hit .275 with a .374 on-base percentage in a half-season with the PawSox in 2013.
"I just want to make sure he doesn't forget what kind of player he is, what kind of talent," Boles said. "He's always had success. He has a track record, a history there. He plays Gold Glove defense. The offense is going to come around. We really believe in Jackie Bradley."
Bradley will share time in center field and right field with the electric Rusney Castillo, another dynamic outfielder who could make a compelling argument to be in the major leagues right now. Castillo signed a seven-year, $72.5 million contract with Boston last August, and it's a safe bet he'd be with the Red Sox now if not for the remarkable ascent of Mookie Betts.
Castillo faces the challenge of adapting to professional baseball in the United States and getting into the routine of five- or six-month regular season. Last season's brief appearances both with the PawSox and the Red Sox represented some shaking off of rust for an outfielder who hadn't played in games for more than a year.
Bradley faces the challenge of making the adjustments that major-league pitchers taught him must be made while still looking forward with confidence and optimism. He's far from the first player to encounter a roadblock upon encoutering major-league pitching for the first time.
PawSox infielder Jemile Weeks was the No. 12 overall pick of the Oakland Athletics in the 2008 draft, and he reached the major leagues for the first time in 2011. He saw his most extended playing time during the 2012 season -- and he hit .221 with a .305 on-base percentage and a. 305 slugging percentage. He has spent the last two seasons trying to establish himself once again as a major-league-caliber player, just as Bradley will do when the PawSox open their season this week.
A year ago, Weeks hit .280 with a .392 on-base percentage at Triple-A Norfolk in the Baltimore organization, and he stuck with the Red Sox through the end of spring training this year. He's well-positioned to get a call to the major leagues should the Red Sox need an infielder.
"It's a mental game first," Weeks said. "The mentality has to be strong, very strong, when you're in that position. You have to fight the feelings of discouragement and disappointment and take hold of the feelings of being optimistic and shooting for whatever goal there is for you to shoot for."
Weeks is now in his third organization, having been traded first to Baltimore for closer Jim Johnson and then to Boston late last season in a deal for Kelly Johnson. Bradley is in his first organization, but the emergence of Betts and a generally crowded outfield in Boston suggest his best chance to break through still could come elsewhere.
"You have to approach it with an open mind for yourself," Weeks said. "You have to look forward at how you can get better and how you can progress -- and make yourself appealing to your team or other teams."
For now, Bradley will open the season with the PawSox with the aim of fixing what ailed him at the plate a year ago.
Boston manager John Farrell has praised the way Bradley has toned down his swing, keeping the path level with an eye on line drives rather than hitting for power. PawSox manager Kevin Boles said he likes what he's seen with the way Bradley has limited the movement in his lower half before his swing, ensuring he's on time more consistently when the pitch arrives.
Bradley declined to go into any detail about the adjustments to his swing.
"I'm really not paying too much attention into it," he said. "I'm going out there and playing the game, not trying to overthink things -- just play."
But while spring training results only matter so much -- as Bradley himself knows, having won a job out of spring training in 2013 only to stumble after Opening Day -- it's hardly a bad sign that he hit .378 with a .462 on-base percentage in Grapefruit League at-bats.
Whether he can carry that forward remains to be seen.
"I'm in a good place," he said. "I'm comfortable. We'll see how that goes."
International League Stories from April 8, 2015
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
