NORFOLK — When Enrique Bradfield Jr. gets a hit or draws a walk or reaches first base in some other manner, it’s foolhardy to assume that he’s thinking about reaching second.
To do so would be selling an elite base-stealer short.
“My sights are set on third base,” Bradfield said.
Bradfield, one of the Norfolk Tides’ newest outfielders, is a professional instigator. A 2023 first-round draft pick out of Vanderbilt by the Tides’ parent Baltimore Orioles, Bradfield entered Wednesday’s game against Nashville with 130 stolen bases in 195 career professional games over three seasons at five levels.
Last season, the South Florida native swiped 74 bags in 108 games between low Class A Delmarva, high Class A Aberdeen and what was then Double-A Bowie (now Chesapeake).
The instigating began immediately Tuesday in his Triple-A debut, when he stole third in the 10th inning of a series-opening 4-3 loss.
Bradfield, 23, had 26 steals at Chesapeake before he and fellow speedy outfielder Reed Trimble, a close friend, were promoted to Norfolk together.
The pair’s presence, Tides manager Tim Federowicz said, could change things down the stretch.
“We’ve got a lot more speed,” Federowicz said. “We’ve got really good outfielders now. Hopefully, those gaps shrink a little bit, which will help our pitching. And then hopefully, they can produce with the bat, and that’ll help our hitting as well, and we’ll go on a little run here.”
The 6-foot, 170-pound Bradfield has made a career out of going on a run. Never a track athlete, he played basketball and soccer in his youth but chose to focus solely on baseball as he entered his high school years.
He chose Vanderbilt after overtures from Florida, Miami, LSU and West Virginia, among others, and averaged more than 43 stolen bases over three seasons, batting .311 in the process.
Bradfield signed at slot value for $4.17 million and began his assault on the psyches of professional pitchers and catchers.
Trimble, a former Southern Miss star who has played with Bradfield at three levels of the minors, recalls seeing Bradfield take home from third on a ball that barely got away from the catcher.
“He was just on top of home plate almost immediately,” Trimble, 25, said. “I think that’s probably one of the crazier things I’ve seen him do.”
Norfolk Tides outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr., a 2023 first-round draft pick out of Vanderbilt, entered Wednesday’s game against Nashville with 130 stolen bases in 195 career professional games over three seasons at five levels. (Sydney Smith / Norfolk Tides)
The problem for many base-stealers, of course, is that first base is not there for the taking. Bradfield, the organization’s fourth-ranked prospect by MLB.com, entered Wednesday with a career .377 on-base percentage, batting .269 and drawing 113 walks to 136 strikeouts.
Statistically, comparing his games played to his career stolen bases, there is a 67% chance Bradfield is going to commit thievery every time he takes the field.
It’s no wonder that he thinks of taking them two at a time.
“I feel like I can get second and third,” he said. “I let the game dictate what happens. I pick my spot and just go out there and do it.
“For the most part, when I get out there, it’s like a playground for me.”
Federowicz said Bradfield, like all of his players, will have a green light most of the time. Federowicz believes in trial and error in the minor leagues, where results are secondary to player development.
“I want them to learn their limits,” Federowicz said. “If you mess up, you mess up. That’s a part of being here.”
Bradfield spent part of Tuesday afternoon’s batting practice walking Harbor Park’s warning track, taking in the angles of the padding and the distance between grass and wall at any given spot.
The distance between bases, of course, remains constant. It’s Bradfield’s goal to cover as much of it as he can while getting stuck in a pitcher’s head like a bad pop song.
“Essentially, that’s my job, is to disrupt the defense any way I can — the pitcher,” Bradfield said. “If I’m on first base, sometimes I don’t have to run to be a disruptor. I can just stand there and do it.”
He’ll likely lead off and play center field most of the time, Federowicz said, splitting time with Trimble at the corner spots.
Trimble, who entered Wednesday with 14 home runs this season, had 57 stolen bases through 211 career games. Though his numbers aren’t as elite as Bradfield’s, the two maintain a friendly rivalry when it comes to one particular tool.
“I feel like I look in the mirror and see the fastest guy I know,” Trimble said. “I think we’re both in the same boat. He might have a step on me one day. I might have a step on him another. Who knows, really?”
Bradfield, who didn’t embrace or learn the nuances of base-stealing until college, has an idea.
Asked whether Trimble was faster, Bradfield chuckled.
“No. I love him to death, but he’s not,” Bradfield said. “He’s got some more pop than me, some more juice in that bat than I do, but I’ll take the speed.”
David Hall, david.hall@pilotonline.com.
