Breaking News: Top-veteran Enrique of the Orioles is a prospect. Understands His Game

Enrique Bradfield Jr. has good wheels, and he can also hit a bit. Drafted 17th overall last year by the Baltimore Orioles out of Vanderbilt University, the 22-year-old outfielder not only slashed .311/.426/.447 over three collegiate seasons, his table-setter batting style translated smoothly to pro ball. In 110 plate appearances versus A-ball pitching, Bradfield batted .291 with a Bonds-esque .473 OBP.

The chances of Bradfield’s ever being comped to Barry Bonds are basically nonexistent. At 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, the erstwhile Commodore is, in the words of our prospect co-analysts Eric Longenhagen and Tess Taruskin, “a contact-oriented

speedster who will also play plus defense.” Power isn’t a meaningful part of his game. Bradfield went deep just 15 times at Vandy, and not at all after inking a contract with the O’s.

He doesn’t expect that to change. When I asked him during spring training if he’s ever tried to tap into more power, Bradfield said that has never been a focus, adding that he’d “be going in the wrong direction if it was.” That seems a shrewd self-assessment. A line-drive hitter who swings from the left side, Bradfield will ultimately reach Baltimore by continuing to propel balls from foul pole to foul pole.

“I know the type of player that I am, and the player that I want to be over the long-term,” Bradfield told me. “That’s the most important piece, finding what works best for me and not just doing something it because it might look good, or might look like it’s going to work. I’ve never shied away from trying new things — I’m always looking for ways to get better — but I also know that I need to be true to who I am.”

That includes his aforementioned speed — Bradfield is an 80 runner who swiped 25 bases last year in 25 professional games — centerfield defense, and plus contact skills. Moreover, he augments his bat-to-ball acumen with a good eye. Bradfield drew 26 free passes and fanned just 16 times in his extended pro cameo.

His approach at the plate is a combination of old school and new school. While he values game-planning, he also feels that “sometimes you just have be a see-ball-hit-ball type of hitter.” As for his approach to metrics, that leans heavily old school. Bradfield has never been one to look at data such as exit velocities and swing rates, preferring instead to “let the people whose job it is to look at that.” By doing so, he can allow himself to “keep things as simple as possible.”