Boston Red Sox 2018 World Series: 3 big storylines vs L.A. Dodgers
By Ryan Feyre
Can Jackie Bradley Jr. continue his dominance?
Here’s something Boston Red Sox fans don’t hear often; Jackie Bradley Jr. has come up big with his bat recently. Normally when people hear his name, they think spectacular defense (which is still very much the case). However, what the center fielder is doing at the plate this postseason is very unprecedented for him.
Despite only batting .200 in the ALCS against Houston, the left-handed hitter smacked two of the biggest home runs of his career, and had a go-ahead three-run double in Game 2, which turned the entire series around. One of the homers was a Grand Slam that essentially put the contest away on the road in Game 3.
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Site Expert Tarringo Basile-vaughan even dubbed Bradley as the new Mr. October. With his nine RBIs against tough pitching in that series, I can see why.
Now the question is, how long can he keep this up until he falls back down to earth hitting-wise?
Knowing Bradley’s usual numbers, there’s no way the center fielder can keep producing like this forever. Without much of a history against the Dodgers, it should be interesting to see how Bradley (and the lineup in general) reacts to starters that he hasn’t seen before, specifically with Clayton Kershaw, or Kenley Jansen.
What Bradley does have on his side is the folk hero aspect. Every once in awhile, an unlikely player emerges from the dust, and enters the forefront of the sport for just a few short moments.
This normally occurs in the playoffs, as Boston fans saw with Terry Rozier back in the 2018 NBA postseason. Or, when David Freese had his own magical run back in the 2011 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. There’s plenty of examples, and Bradley could be the next one to enter the history books.
He’s already cemented his legacy on the defensive end. Now it’s time to show baseball fans what he can do at the plate on the biggest stage in the world with everyone watching.