Former Red Sox Playoff MVP Receives Another MLB Opportunity

Jackie Bradley Jr., best known for his 2018 playoff heroics with the Boston Red Sox, is making an MLB comeback at 34 years old.

On Tuesday, Mike Mayer reported that the 2018 ALCS MVP had signed with the New York Mets. Bradley Jr. spent this season with the Long Island Ducks, an independent Atlantic League Team.

In 40 games with the Ducks, he was hitting .400 with 12 home runs and 35 RBI on his way to a 1.204 OPS. Bradley Jr.'s most recent MLB appearance came in June 2023 with the Kansas City Royals.

Bradley Jr. was named the 2018 ALCS MVP during Boston's march to a World Series title. In the five-game series against the Houston Astros, JBJ socked two home runs and drove in nine runs, highlighted by a grand slam off of Roberto Osuna in Game 3.

The 11-year vet appeared in 964 regular season and 21 postseason games across two stints in Boston. He was a 2016 All-Star selection and 2018 Gold Glove Award Winner with the Sox. Bradley Jr.'s 29-game hitting streak in 2016 is tied for the fourth-longest in franchise history.

Bradley Jr. came up through the Red Sox farm system after being selected with the 40th overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft. He played his college baseball at South Carolina, where he was a member of back-to-back College World Series championship teams, including being named Most Outstanding Player of the 2010 CWS.

The outfielder has also played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Royals. His first stint with Boston lasted from 2013 to 2020 before he later returned in 2022.

As pointed out by Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald, Bradley Jr. is "within range" of the 10-year mark for MLB service time, making him eligible for important benefits following his playing days. Per Spotrac, Bradley Jr.'s service time is listed as 9.057 years.

Ironically, Bradley Jr. played for the Hyannis Mets of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2009. 15 years later, he gets his chance with New York Mets.

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