Red Sox’s center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. has long been
thought of as the center fielder of the future. Bradley struggled mightily at
the plate in his first two seasons with the Red Sox, and struggled to find
consistency. 2016 has been a complete turnaround for the 26-year-old, as he is
off to a .350 average with eight home runs and 34 RBIs in his first 45 games.
On May 26, his 29-game hit streak was snapped against the Rockies, going
0-for-4 from the leadoff spot. The 29-game streak ties Johnny Damon for the
fourth longest in Red Sox team history. Bradley has been on fire, hitting .415
with eight homers, nine doubles, and 30 RBIs during the streak. He also did
most of his damage out of the No. 9 spot in the order.
His success was fueled by the leg kick he implemented
towards the end of 2015. Before the leg kick, he was often late on pitches, and
wasn’t in a smooth, continuous motion throughout his swing. The leg kick has
also given him more power to tap into because of the better use of his legs. He
is two home runs shy of his season high (10), and has totaled a .625 slugging
percentage so far this season. Bradley reminds teams why they need to be
patient with young players. Coming into the season, Bradley owned a .213 career
average in 700 at-bats, and it could have been easy to give up on him. The
streak may be over, but Bradley has cemented himself into history, and should be
a staple in the Red Sox's lineup for years to come.
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