Jackie Bradley

After three straight seasons with a wRC+ of 89 or 90, Bradley posted a 119 mark in 2020, the second highest of his career. However, the jump was fueled by a career-high .343 BABIP not supported by his underlying metrics. To his credit, Bradley did log career bests with a 22.1 K% and 10.6 BB%. The 2018 Gold Glove winner's defense rebounded from a subpar 2019 campaign as his defensive runs saved were pacing to match his salad days. About to embark on his age-31 season, Bradley is not going to develop the power/speed game many foretold when he was younger. That said, his glove will keep him in the lineup, at minimum on the strong side of a platoon. With no skills that pop, he's a compiler with a solid base of counting stats, albeit with a risky batting average.

Bradley Jr. looked like an emerging star after hitting .267 with 26 homers, 87 RBI, 94 runs with nine steals in 2016. Three years later, all but the steals remain career bests. Further, while he's given a pass because of his highlight-reel defense, many advanced fielding metrics rank the former Gold Glover winner below average, though that could be an artifact of Fenway Park's quirky dimensions. Bradley Jr.'s primary shortcomings are contact and the inability to solve southpaw pitching despite 894 plate appearances in that scenario, nearly 90% of what's needed to consider platoon splits real. Last season, Bradley Jr. fanned at a 27.3% clip, the highest since he became a regular in 2014. Bradley Jr.'s glove will keep him in the lineup, though he'll hit low in the order and sit against some tough lefties. He should compile just enough to overcome a low average and be a fantasy asset.

Bradley has been a below-league-average hitter in real life the past two years, but he's remained a viable fantasy option thanks to his plus contributions in two categories and worthwhile totals in two others. The only place where he's a real drain is batting average -- he has fallen below .250 in three of the last four seasons. That mark fell all the way to .234 in 2018 as his strikeout rate jumped to 25.6% and his line against lefties plummeted to .185/.260/.303 (from .276/.361/.405). Those numbers against same-handed pitching leave open a good deal of platoon risk, but to this point the Red Sox have been content to sacrifice a bit of offense for Bradley's world-class defense in center field. It's worked out pretty well for them so far. On the basepaths, Bradley swiped a career-high 17 bases last season and was only caught once, so another double-digit total seems likely for the soon-to-be 29-year-old.

Bradley’s elite defense in center field afforded him an everyday role in 2017, but the 27-year-old disappointed from a fantasy standpoint after he was unable to consistently display the burgeoning power he had shown the previous two seasons. It looked as though Bradley was trending toward a career-best campaign after providing an .853 OPS and 26 extra-base knocks in the first half, but much like 2016, his performance crashed after the All-Star break, as his OPS fell nearly 300 points while his walk and strikeout rates both veered sharply in the wrong direction. The vast disparity of those two halves makes Bradley a difficult player to project in 2018, but if his track record is any indication, he’ll offer stretches of both All-Star-caliber production and utter incompetence at the plate. If Bradley resembles the player he was in the second half of last season early on in 2018, his defense might not be enough to regularly keep him in the lineup with Andrew Benintendi capable of sliding over to center field when needed.

Thanks to a torrid finish to the 2015 campaign, Bradley was afforded a full-time spot in the Red Sox's outfield heading into 2016. The 26-year-old batted north of .300 for much of the first half while clobbering 14 home runs, 22 doubles and six triples en route to his first All-Star appearance. Unfortunately, it was a tale of two halves, as his production tapered off significantly following the All-Star break. In 73 second-half contests, his batting average sunk to a measly .233 mark while he averaged a strikeout per game. He also stole just two bases over the final three months. Bradley's defensive prowess and monster first half has him sitting pretty in the organization, although his history of extended slumps is keeping him from becoming a fantasy standout. If he can cut down on the strikeouts, Bradley could shine even more.

Bradley, a well-regarded defender at a premium position, never came close to being a credible offensive threat in 530 plate appearances from 2013-2014 (.196/.269/.280). He put in a lot of offseason work on his swing, but didn't have a spot on the major league roster to start the 2015 season. Bradley hit well and was an on-base machine at Triple-A Pawtucket, but the Red Sox didn't seem convinced he was ready for Boston, despite obvious problems in their outfield. He had a brief callup in June and finally got a steady opportunity when the flailing Red Sox parted with Shane Victorino at the trade deadline. Bradley then posted a monster 25-game stretch from Aug. 9 to Sept. 7 (.446/.489/.952) to resurrect his career and put himself in the picture for 2016. He needs to prove he can remove the peaks and valleys at the plate, but the Red Sox are clearing the deck for Bradley by experimenting with Hanley Ramirez at first base.

Bradley, once a top prospect in the organization, has lost a lot of that prospect sheen. His struggles at the major-league level in 2013 and 2014 prompt serious doubts as to whether he can be a full-time starter on a team. Last season, he had a couple of good stretches offensively, but was largely lost at the plate and had historically bad offensive numbers. What kept him in the major leagues so long was his peerless outfield defense. Fascinatingly, Bradley was a finalist for the Gold Glove in center field despite playing only 105 games. Acquisitions (Hanley Ramirez, Allen Craig, Rusney Castillo) and in-house moves (Mookie Betts, Brock Holt) have crowded the outfield, which at this point suggests Bradley will open the season at Triple-A Pawtucket where he can work on finding his swing, but he may also be a trade target for teams seeking a defensive upgrade in center field.

Bradley was a big topic in Boston during spring training, when he strafed the ball during preseason games, earning a spot on the Opening Day roster. However, he didn't fare well once he faced big league pitchers regularly and was soon back at Triple-A Pawtucket. Because it was a level at which he'd never played, the year was one of adjustments for Bradley. He played well for the PawSox, improving his batting average, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS from the previous year at Double-A Portland. Where all this leaves Bradley entering the 2014 season is uncertain, but with Jacoby Ellsbury moving on to New York, Bradley could land on the roster as the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter.

The Red Sox certainly liked Bradley when the organization drafted him in 2011, but his first full season of professional baseball in 2012 showed he was much more advanced than imagined. He was an on-base machine at High-A Salem (.480) and Double-A Portland (.373) while showing a bit more power (nine homers, 42 extra-base hits) at this stage than expected. There was some average drop off after his promotion, so we would like to see if he can maintain as a .300 hitter for a full season at the advanced levels. He was already considered above-average defensively, so the development of his offense so early is a nice omen for his baseball future. He is right behind Xander Bogaerts in terms of the organization's prospect rankings.

Bradley fell to the supplemental round of the 2011 draft due largely to a tendon injury in his wrist that suppressed his production during his junior season at the University of South Carolina. Still on the lean side, the Red Sox feel he can develop some power. He needs to cover the plate better and work on not overextending his swing in order to become the plus hitter for average they feel he can be. Bradley's considered polished defensively and projects to remain a center fielder going forward. Look for him to start the season at Low-A Greenville.