Jackie Bradley Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jackie Bradley Jr. |
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Bradley with the Boston Red Sox in 2017
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: April 19, 1990 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 1, 2013, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 7, 2023, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .225 | ||
| Home runs | 109 | ||
| Runs batted in | 449 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Jackie Bradley Jr., also known as "JBJ", is a former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Jackie played for teams like the Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Kansas City Royals. He is 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighs 200 pounds (91 kg). He hit the ball with his left hand and threw with his right hand.
Bradley played college baseball for the University of South Carolina. He was named the best player in the 2010 College World Series. The Red Sox picked Bradley in the 2011 MLB draft. He started playing in the MLB in 2013. Bradley was chosen for the All-Star Game in 2016. He was also named the most valuable player of the 2018 American League Championship Series. He was very good at fielding, winning a Gold Glove Award in 2018.
Contents
Early Baseball Days
Playing in High School
Jackie Bradley Jr. went to Prince George High School in Prince George, Virginia. In 2008, he was named to the Virginia AAA All-State team. He was also listed as one of the top baseball players from Virginia.
College Baseball Career
Bradley started his college baseball career in 2009. He played for the South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team. As a freshman, he had a batting average of .349. He scored 69 runs in 63 games played. He also hit 11 home runs. After the 2009 season, he played summer baseball for the Hyannis Mets.
In 2010, Bradley hit .368 with 13 home runs. He brought in 60 runs and scored 56 times in 67 games. He played very well in the 2010 College World Series. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the series.
Professional Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
The Boston Red Sox picked Bradley in the 2011 MLB draft. He started playing professionally on August 23, 2011. He played for the Lowell Spinners and Greenville Drive. In 2012, the Red Sox named him their Minor League Defensive Player of the Year. He hit .315 and had 63 RBIs in 128 games.
Making it to Major League Baseball
First Season in MLB (2013)
In 2013, Bradley was a top prospect. He started the season as the left fielder for the Red Sox. This was a big deal for a young player. He made his MLB debut on April 1 against the New York Yankees. He did not get a hit, but he walked three times and scored two runs.
Bradley was sent to the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox a few times in 2013. He hit his first career home run on June 4. In 37 MLB games that year, he batted .189 with three home runs. The Red Sox won the 2013 World Series that year. However, Bradley was not on the team's playoff roster.
Playing Center Field (2014)
In 2014, Bradley became the team's main center fielder. He played in 127 games. He was very good at defense. But he struggled with hitting, batting only .198. He had one home run and 30 RBIs.
Splitting Time (2015)
During the 2015 season, Bradley played for both Boston and Pawtucket. He started playing regularly for the Red Sox in late July. On August 15, 2015, he had an amazing game. He hit two home runs and three doubles in one game. This was a rare achievement. For the season, he played in 74 MLB games. He batted .249 with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs.
All-Star Season (2016)
In 2016, Bradley had a 29-game hitting streak. This was one of the longest in Red Sox history. His hitting streak helped raise his batting average a lot. He was named the AL Player of the Month for May. Bradley was also chosen for his first All-Star Game. He finished the season batting .267 with 26 home runs and 87 RBIs.
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Injuries and Playoffs (2017)
Before the 2017 season, Bradley changed his jersey number to 19. This was because his birthday is April 19. He also wore number 19 in college.
Bradley had some injuries in 2017. He sprained his right knee in April. Later, he injured his left thumb in August. He played in 133 games, batting .245 with 17 home runs. In the playoffs, the Red Sox lost to the Houston Astros.
World Series Champion (2018)
In 2018, Bradley was the everyday center fielder. He was known for his amazing defense. He struggled with hitting until August. But he became a hero in the playoffs.
In the 2018 American League Championship Series, Bradley had some huge hits. He drove in three runs with a double in Game 2. In Game 3, he hit a grand slam. In Game 4, he hit a two-run home run. He had nine RBIs in the series. He was named the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player. The Red Sox went on to win the 2018 World Series. Bradley also won his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award for his defense.
Final Years with Red Sox (2019-2020)
Bradley continued to play center field for Boston in 2019. He played in 147 games, batting .225 with 21 home runs. He made some incredible catches that year. One of his catches was named the best play of 2019 by MLB Network.
In the shortened 2020 season, Bradley was still Boston's main center fielder. He batted .283 with seven home runs in 55 games. After the season, he became a free agent.
Playing for Other Teams
Milwaukee Brewers (2021)
In March 2021, Bradley signed with the Milwaukee Brewers. He played in 134 games for them. He struggled with hitting, batting only .163. He hit 6 home runs and had 29 RBIs.
Back to Boston (2022)
In December 2021, the Brewers traded Bradley back to the Red Sox. He mostly played right field for Boston in 2022. On July 8, he even pitched in a game for the first time! He struck out a batter. The Red Sox released him in August 2022. In 91 games with Boston, he batted .210.
Toronto Blue Jays (2022)
On August 9, 2022, Bradley signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. He played in 40 games for them. He batted .178 with one home run. For the whole 2022 season, his average was .203. He was nominated for a Gold Glove Award again.
Kansas City Royals (2023)
In March 2023, the Kansas City Royals signed Bradley. He made the team after spring training. He played in 43 games for Kansas City. He batted .133 with one home run. The Royals released him in June 2023.
Independent League and Minor League (2024)
In April 2024, Bradley signed with the Long Island Ducks in an independent league. He played very well there, batting .400 with 12 home runs in 40 games. In July 2024, he signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets. He played for their Triple-A team, the Syracuse Mets. He was released by the Mets in September 2024.
Life After Playing Baseball
On April 24, 2025, Jackie Bradley Jr. started a new career. He was hired by ESPN to be a college baseball analyst for the SEC Network. This means he talks about college baseball games on TV.
About Jackie Bradley Jr.
Family and Background
Jackie Bradley Jr. is naturally right-handed. But he learned to hit left-handed when he was eight years old. His father, Jackie Bradley Sr., is a bus driver. Jackie Wilson, a famous singer, is his namesake.
Bradley is married to Erin Heiring. They have three children. A daughter was born in June 2016, a son in December 2020, and another daughter in June 2022.
Remembering a Friend
Before each time he batted, Bradley would write "M.S." in the dirt. He did this to honor his friend, William Matthew "Matt" Saye. Matt was a high school classmate who passed away in a car accident in 2011. Bradley was very close with Matt. He said that Matt was like a brother to him. This shows how much his friend meant to him.
