An Evan Dreilich interview with Bradley on nbcsports. com talks about Jackie's injuries last year and whether he can bounce back to hit more like he did in 2016.
"One of the reasons to believe Bradley can rebound in 2017 — and a reason to advocate keeping a cost-controlled player who is both comfortable in Boston and immensely talented — is renewed health.
Bradley suffered a right knee sprain in April that put him in a brace through May. He sprained his left thumb in August. A baseball source with direct knowledge of Bradley’s situation emphasized his injuries did affect him.
Bradley, like many players, on Thursday did not want to discuss the extent of his health.
“Y’all know I’m never gonna say anything about that. It’s just not who I am,” Bradley told NBC Sports Boston before accepting the Defensive Player of the Year award at the 79th annual Boston baseball writers awards dinner. “But as a player, you just have to deal. You’re injured. But I felt at the time that I could still help the team out. So I was in a brace. I think once I got it off, it actually was feeling pretty good."
It didn’t linger all year, Bradley said.
“It felt pretty good until the thumb happened,” Bradley said. “But it’s one of those things where nobody’s ever really 100 percent. You grind, and you make the best with what’s due.”
After his thumb injury, Bradley came back and played, but he hit an abysmal 172/238/280 in 101 PAs through the end of the season. Seems like yet another occasion of a Red Sox player ineffectually trying to play through injury instead of staying out and healing.
2018 projections for Bradley:
Zips: 255/330/434, 18 HRs, .327 wOBA, 99 wRC+
Depth Charts: 259/340/445, 21 HRs, .335 wOBA, 105 wRC+
Steamer: 250/340/445, 19 HRs, .335 wOBA, 105 wRC+
Combining all 3 and you get something like a .780 OPS, with around 20 HRs, a wOBA around .330 and a wRC+ a little over 100. Combined with his defense at a crucial position, that is a very valuable player.
Maybe if he can stay healthy, he can hit more like he did in 2016, when he put up an .835 OPS, 26 HRs, 354 wOBA and 119 wRC+.
Bradley wants to steal more bases in 2018.
"And new Red Sox manager Alex Cora apparently is going to let him.
"I've always wanted to run more," Bradley said here at the Boston Baseball Writers Dinner today. "I'm glad that he's going to give me that opportunity to be able to do that more often."
Bradley never has stolen more than nine bases in a season. He stole eight bases in 2017. Did the Red Sox limit him in the past?
"I feel like I could run," he said. "I feel like I've gotten stronger every year. I've been pretty successful on the base paths. I guess certain times, the situation didn't dictate it in the past. And the red light was more a thing they wanted to do with certain people at bat instead of take the extra base."
If he can steal more bags while keeping anywhere close to his career 86% percentage that would be a good thing.
"One of the reasons to believe Bradley can rebound in 2017 — and a reason to advocate keeping a cost-controlled player who is both comfortable in Boston and immensely talented — is renewed health.
Bradley suffered a right knee sprain in April that put him in a brace through May. He sprained his left thumb in August. A baseball source with direct knowledge of Bradley’s situation emphasized his injuries did affect him.
Bradley, like many players, on Thursday did not want to discuss the extent of his health.
“Y’all know I’m never gonna say anything about that. It’s just not who I am,” Bradley told NBC Sports Boston before accepting the Defensive Player of the Year award at the 79th annual Boston baseball writers awards dinner. “But as a player, you just have to deal. You’re injured. But I felt at the time that I could still help the team out. So I was in a brace. I think once I got it off, it actually was feeling pretty good."
It didn’t linger all year, Bradley said.
“It felt pretty good until the thumb happened,” Bradley said. “But it’s one of those things where nobody’s ever really 100 percent. You grind, and you make the best with what’s due.”
After his thumb injury, Bradley came back and played, but he hit an abysmal 172/238/280 in 101 PAs through the end of the season. Seems like yet another occasion of a Red Sox player ineffectually trying to play through injury instead of staying out and healing.
2018 projections for Bradley:
Zips: 255/330/434, 18 HRs, .327 wOBA, 99 wRC+
Depth Charts: 259/340/445, 21 HRs, .335 wOBA, 105 wRC+
Steamer: 250/340/445, 19 HRs, .335 wOBA, 105 wRC+
Combining all 3 and you get something like a .780 OPS, with around 20 HRs, a wOBA around .330 and a wRC+ a little over 100. Combined with his defense at a crucial position, that is a very valuable player.
Maybe if he can stay healthy, he can hit more like he did in 2016, when he put up an .835 OPS, 26 HRs, 354 wOBA and 119 wRC+.
Bradley wants to steal more bases in 2018.
"And new Red Sox manager Alex Cora apparently is going to let him.
"I've always wanted to run more," Bradley said here at the Boston Baseball Writers Dinner today. "I'm glad that he's going to give me that opportunity to be able to do that more often."
Bradley never has stolen more than nine bases in a season. He stole eight bases in 2017. Did the Red Sox limit him in the past?
"I feel like I could run," he said. "I feel like I've gotten stronger every year. I've been pretty successful on the base paths. I guess certain times, the situation didn't dictate it in the past. And the red light was more a thing they wanted to do with certain people at bat instead of take the extra base."
If he can steal more bags while keeping anywhere close to his career 86% percentage that would be a good thing.
Don’t know magnitude of injury affect so hard to solve.
