Just another day at the office for Jackie Bradley Jr. Similar to the NFL, baseball can be considered a copycat league. Teams are naturally inclined to repeat the process of winners. We saw this with teams emphasizing on base percentage post Moneyball and we are seeing it now with teams emphasizing defense and bullpens following the Royals' success. Guys like Jackie Bradley Jr. simply were not valued in the steroid era but now every team wants what he brings to the Red Sox.
The key for Bradley Jr, as is the case with many of these "defense specialists" is whether or not they can hit. It's been a roller coaster career thus far for the 26-year-old. After hitting .419/.507/.613 in Spring Training in 2013 Bradley Jr. was appointed the next big thing. He struggled mightily the next two seasons however, hitting just .196 in 479 at bats between '13 and 2014.
After starting 2015 in the minors Bradley Jr. got called up on June 25 and in his last 50 games of the season hit .294/.366/.613 with nine home runs. While these numbers would make him one of the more valuable players in the league, the Red Sox would take a .250 batting average to go along with the stellar defense and highlight reel plays Bradley Jr. provides them with on a day to day basis.
Remember the 2 pitches Tazawa threw before we didnt send him back out?
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