By Chris Ryan
Fenway Park-
Playmaker is generally a term used to describe a stud basketball or football player, not a baseball player.
However, it perfectly fits Red Sox centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.
The 26-year-old is currently a topic in sports circles due to his 27-game hitting streak, but that’s not what makes him arguably the most important player on the Red Sox thru the first quarter of the season.
His value is in how much he does. Offensively, his .342 batting average is third in the American League, his 33 RBI has him tied for 5th, his .618 slugging percentage is second best and he’s hitting a league best .417 with runners in scoring position.
That’s before even mentioning the fact that he’s the best defensive centerfielder in baseball.
“Anytime that you’re able to be a playmaker om a play whether it’s on the offensive or defensive or base-running (side of the game), you want to do it to the best of your ability,” said Bradley in the interview that aired Monday on New Hampshire Now. “I really pride myself on being an overall player.”
“Every fly ball he tries to go right after,” said Hanley Ramirez prior to tonight’s contest against the Rockies about Bradley’s playmaking ability. “Every at-bat he tries to find a way to get on base.”
JBJ’s play has brought a lot of attention, but he hasn’t noticed it. You’re much more likely to catch him watching Animal Planet than MLB Network or ESPN.
He does say though that analysts trying to breakdown differences in his approach or pointing to a increased knowledge and comfort within the strike zone are off base.
“I thought I knew the strike zone then as well,” he said referring to previous seasons.
The road to his current stardom hasn’t always been a smooth one for the affable and intelligent Bradley Jr. There was the overblown media expectations and hype prior to his major league debut in 2013, a subsequent minor league assignment, a .198 batting average in 2014 in 127 games for Boston while playing gold glove caliber centerfield, and splitting last year between Pawtucket and the bigs.
“There was never a doubt,” said Bradley when asked if he believed this moment would ever come in Boston. “I believe that if you trust in your ability and the work that you put in, you’ll be rewarded for it.”
That reward will likely come in the form of his first All-Star game in selection and a trip to San Diego in July.
He’ll likely have a lot of company as David Ortiz, Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez and Craig Kimbrel can be expected to join him.
