Jackie Bradley Jr. makes another incredible catch at the wall
By Ben Porter
Boston Red Sox Jackie Bradley Jr. showcased his defensive prowess last night with another spectacular catch in center field.
When the ball is hit in the air towards center field, the Boston Red Sox can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Jackie Bradley Jr. is chasing it down.
A defensive wizard, Bradley Jr. has turned heads with highlight reel plays that he somehow makes look routine. It seems like he makes one every night.
Check it out:
@JackieBradleyJr pic.twitter.com/NtJOPNPK7n
— 10 (@SimplyAJ10) July 22, 2017
Whoops, that was the wrong clip.
Not too far off, though, was JBJ’s actual catch. When Chris Sale allowed an anomalous line drive into the right-center gap, Jackie Bradley Jr. was there to make a leaping grab against the wall.
Here is the video of that incredible catch:
Known as a streaky hitter, Jackie Bradley Jr.’s value has often been questioned. However, his value is as much more than just a hitter. He offers unique defensive metrics that can’t be matched by just any center fielder.
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By The Numbers
According to Fangraphs’ Inside Edge Fielding metrics, Jackie Bradley Jr. makes 30% of plays that have a “remote” chance (1-10% chance) of being made. He has also made 100% of plays which are “unlikely” (10-40% chance) to be made, and 100% of plays which are given a 60-100% chance of being made.
What exactly do these numbers mean? In The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne mentions a wall with one single rock that “has no earthly business” being there. Well, Jackie Bradley Jr. is that rock. He gets to spots he has no earthly business getting to and catches balls that he has no earthly business catching.
Drawing Praise
Red Sox starter Chris Sale sung Jackie Bradley Jr.’s praise after the catch, as was tweeted by Red Sox beat reporter Jason Mastrodonato:
Chris Sale on JBJ's "Angels in the Outfield" catch: pic.twitter.com/6Wk5IjM2sW
— Jason Mastrodonato (@JMastrodonato) July 22, 2017
This is certainly not the first time JBJ has drawn praise for his wizardry in the outfield, and it certainly won’t be the last.
Next: Boston Red Sox: Could Adrian Beltre return to play third base?
Moving forward, Jackie Bradley Jr. will be key to the Red Sox’ success. He not only manufactures runs on offense when he’s hot, but he keeps runs off the board on defense. I can only hope he remains in Boston for a long time.