Jackie Bradley Jr’s baseball career started in his teenage days after he graduated from high school and before he got into college. The centre fielder’s collegiate career was outstanding with very impressive averages in every category. His contribution earned him the 2010 College World Series Most Outstanding Player award. Subsequently, Bradley was drafted in the 2011 Major Baseball League draft as the 40th overall pick by the Boston Red Sox and made his professional MLB debut for the team in August 2011.
Jackie Bradley Jr’s Biography
Bradley was born on April 19, 1990, in Richmond, Virginia. After his time at Prince George, High School came to an end, he was named to the Virginia AAA All-State team in 2008.
While at the University of South Carolina in 2009, Jackie ended his season hitting .349, and 69 runs in 63 appearances. He also hit 11 home runs, walking 34 times with 31 strikeouts.
In the next campaign, he had a batting average of .369, 13 home runs, while scoring on 56 occasions in 67 appearances. He also went 10-for-29 at the plate, effectively earning the CWS Most Outstanding Player for 2010. His college career ended in 2010 and paved the way for a successful professional career.
Professional Career and Stats
The centre fielder joined the Red Sox in 2011 and hit .250 in his first 10 games, playing for the Lowell Spinners of the Minor League Baseball. In 2012, he was named the Minor League Defensive Player of the Year by the Red Sox for his efforts.
He entered 2013 on the No.32 spot of MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospects list. After being optioned to the Pawtucket Red Sox in April 2019, he was recalled on May 29, hitting his first career home run on June 4 in a game against the Texas Rangers. He returned to Pawtucket two more times that year between June 8 and September 7.
In 2013, Jackie Bradley Jr was involved in 37 games for the Boston Red Sox, batting .189, 10 RBI, 3 home runs, and 2 stolen bases. His team would go on to win the world series in the final game against St. Louis Cardinals.
Bradley had two stints again with the Pawtuckets in 2014, although he was used regularly for the Red Sox in the time between both stints. His defensive play was exceptional but saw him hit just .216 with one home run for the Reds.
In 2015, Jackie staked a claim to be a full-time outfield player for the Reds with his record-breaking performance in the Red Sox’s 22-10 win against the Seattle Mariners. In 2016, Bradley Jr became the 4th ranked (tied with Johnny Damon) Boston Red Sox player to maintain a hitting streak that carried for 29 consecutive games. This incredible run saw him raise his batting average from .222 to .350 and earn himself the AL Player of the Month for May. He was also called to the All-Star Game as a starter at the end of the season for the first time in his career.
In 2017, Jackie was placed on the 10-day disabled list twice. First for spraining his right knee, and subsequently for injuring his left thumb.
Jackie Bradley Jr’s Family, Wife, and Kids
The Red Sox defensive centre was born to Alfreda Hagans and Jacke Bradley Sr. His father, Bradley Sr. worked as a bus driver in Richmond to help raise Jackie. Jackie often talks about his mother in glowing terms, especially when he is detailing how instrumental she was in making him pursue baseball. The baseballer is married to a woman named Erin Helring who is an alumnus of Liberty University. The couple wedded on December 7, 2013, and welcomed their first child, a daughter named Emerson Claire Bradley on June 2, 2016.
Height, weight and other facts about Jackie Bradley Jr
Jackie Bradley Jr bears the same name as an iconic black American soul singer Jack Leroy “Jackie” Wilson who was popular in the 1950s through to the 1970s. It turns out that Bradley Jr. and his father were named after the iconic singer.
Bradley Jr only married Erin in 2013, however, the couple has been together for a very long time. They both attended the same high school where they started dating.
Jackie signs the signature “M.S.” into the dirt before each bat. He does this in honour of his best friend Matt Sayer who died in an accident. During Matt’s funeral, Jackie was mentioned as his only surviving brother even though Matt is white and Jackie is African American.
Bradley Jr stands at a respectable height of 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) and maintains a weight of 91 kg (200.6 lbs).
