Enrique Bradfield 2023

[Moose Milligan]

Love to see it.

[IPlayGM]

It will be really interesting as he progresses to see who this guy really is, and if his hit tool is enough to be a MLB impact….certainly seems like the speed and D will play. I have nothing to go on but what I read here, but I am wondering is this guy Billy Hamilton, or can the hit tool make him better? 

Edited August 16, 2023 by IPlayGM
I can’t type

[jabba72]

Actually has 10 steals in just 5 Delmarva games. 9-3 BB/K ratio in those 5 games as well. 

[Bird Lady]

Saw him in person last night, he's a very exciting player on the bases.

[bpilktree]

1 hour ago, IPlayGM said:

It will be really interesting as he progresses to see who this guy really is, and if his hit tool is enough to be a MLB impact….certainly seems like the speed and D will play. I have nothing to go on but what I read here, but I am wondering is this guy Billy Hamilton, or can the hit tool make him better? 

Way better hit tool or at least way better plate discipline.  Hamilton never walked which Bradfield if he plays regularly will walk close to 100 times a year.  I think he will be closer to the Kenny Lofton type mode maybe with little lower average (batting average as a whole is down)  but few more homers.  .260/.350/.420/.770 with 90 walks and 10 homers type.  

[emmett16]

1 hour ago, IPlayGM said:

It will be really interesting as he progresses to see who this guy really is, and if his hit tool is enough to be a MLB impact….certainly seems like the speed and D will play. I have nothing to go on but what I read here, but I am wondering is this guy Billy Hamilton, or can the hit tool make him better? 

He can hit.  He’s not trying to slap it and beat it out. He can drive a ball out to opposite field.  I could see him hitting 10-15 HR in peak years with 25+ doubles and 10+ triples.  

[IPlayGM]

3 hours ago, bpilktree said:

Way better hit tool or at least way better plate discipline.  Hamilton never walked which Bradfield if he plays regularly will walk close to 100 times a year.  I think he will be closer to the Kenny Lofton type mode maybe with little lower average (batting average as a whole is down)  but few more homers.  .260/.350/.420/.770 with 90 walks and 10 homers type.  

Kenny Lofton is a helluva lot better comp than Hamilton, so sign me up for that!

[AdamK]

3 hours ago, bpilktree said:

Way better hit tool or at least way better plate discipline.  Hamilton never walked which Bradfield if he plays regularly will walk close to 100 times a year.  I think he will be closer to the Kenny Lofton type mode maybe with little lower average (batting average as a whole is down)  but few more homers.  .260/.350/.420/.770 with 90 walks and 10 homers type.  

[Hallas]

4 hours ago, bpilktree said:

Way better hit tool or at least way better plate discipline.  Hamilton never walked which Bradfield if he plays regularly will walk close to 100 times a year.  I think he will be closer to the Kenny Lofton type mode maybe with little lower average (batting average as a whole is down)  but few more homers.  .260/.350/.420/.770 with 90 walks and 10 homers type.  

Hamilton's walk rate in the minors was decent all the way to AAA, which tells me that he didn't walk because he didn't hit enough to be a threat.

 

Plate discipline is only one component of drawing walks.  The other important component is hitting the ball hard enough that pitchers are legitimately dissuaded from just chucking meatballs at you.  Nick Markakis is the poster child for this - elite plate discipline but never had elite BB numbers because after his 2008 season he decided that the best version of himself was a slap hitter that could hit doubles in the gap.  Hamilton had zero power to speak of; Bradfield would have to slug at least .400, probably .420 to dissuade pitchers from throwing meatballs all day.

[Frobby]

Just now, Hallas said:

Hamilton's walk rate in the minors was decent all the way to AAA, which tells me that he didn't walk because he didn't hit enough to be a threat.

 

Plate discipline is only one component of drawing walks.  The other important component is hitting the ball hard enough that pitchers are legitimately dissuaded from just chucking meatballs at you.  Nick Markakis is the poster child for this - elite plate discipline but never had elite BB numbers because after his 2008 season he decided that the best version of himself was a slap hitter that could hit doubles in the gap.  Hamilton had zero power to speak of; Bradfield would have to slug at least .400, probably .420 to dissuade pitchers from throwing meatballs all day.

So let’s say Bradfiekd is Steven Kwan, but with elite CF defense and top-5 stolen base numbers.  Is anyone going to be disappointed with that?  I don’t think so.  

[Sydnor]

4 hours ago, bpilktree said:

Way better hit tool or at least way better plate discipline.  Hamilton never walked which Bradfield if he plays regularly will walk close to 100 times a year.  I think he will be closer to the Kenny Lofton type mode maybe with little lower average (batting average as a whole is down)  but few more homers.  .260/.350/.420/.770 with 90 walks and 10 homers type.  

Kenny Lofton should probably be in the Hall of Fame (or at least should’ve received significantly more consideration based upon his 68.4 career rWAR, which is higher than numerous players in the Hall). If only we can be so lucky.

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, Frobby said:

So let’s say Bradfiekd is Steven Kwan, but with elite CF defense and top-5 stolen base numbers.  Is anyone going to be disappointed with that?  I don’t think so.  

Sure, a guy putting up a 4 win season but better.

Oh the land of reasonable expectations. 

 

I will thank you for leading me to his BB Reference page, had no idea his nickname was that sweet.

[Hallas]

9 minutes ago, Frobby said:

So let’s say Bradfiekd is Steven Kwan, but with elite CF defense and top-5 stolen base numbers.  Is anyone going to be disappointed with that?  I don’t think so.  

Steven Kwan's bat with elite CF defense is already like a 5 WAR player.  Throw in elite baserunning and that's close to a 6 win player.  That'd be wildly exceeding expectations.

 

If he ends up as 2021-2023 Cedric Mullins but with more defense/baserunning value that's already on the high end of expectations.

Edited August 16, 2023 by Hallas

[btdart20]

24 minutes ago, Frobby said:

So let’s say Bradfiekd is Steven Kwan, but with elite CF defense and top-5 stolen base numbers.  Is anyone going to be disappointed with that?  I don’t think so.  

Is Esteury Ruiz or Miles Straw acceptable?  

FWIW - Enrique Bradfield Jr. - Stats - Batting | FanGraphs Baseball

 

[Frobby]

8 minutes ago, btdart20 said:

Is Esteury Ruiz or Miles Straw acceptable?  

FWIW - Enrique Bradfield Jr. - Stats - Batting | FanGraphs Baseball

 

Well, let’s be realistic about what’s “acceptable.” There have been 58 no. 17 picks, and only 16 of them have had a 5 WAR career.   So in that context, a Straw/Ruiz outcome would be “acceptable.”   

That said, I’d be disappointed with that outcome.