SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – In case you hadn’t heard, the stolen base is in again. There have been back-to-back 100-base stealers in the Minors (Chandler Simpson, Kendall George) over the past two seasons. Enrique Bradfield Jr. hasn’t yet cracked that threshold – but he’s gotten close.
Racking up 74 steals in 108 games during the 2024 season is a mark many basestealers would consider their apex. But Bradfield, who often drew Kenny Lofton comps as an amateur for his disruptive nature in the run game, knows he has more in the tank.
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“I could definitely do it,” Bradfield said of swiping 100 or more bases in a year. “I'd love to do it in the Majors, I think that's the one that should matter the most.”
One of six ranked prospects across baseball to receive the rare 80-grade run tool (on the 20-80 scale), Bradfield has 135 steals in 209 pro games. He stole 36 bags this past year across three levels and that was with injuries to both hamstrings zapping much of his explosiveness. He ascended as high as Triple-A Norfolk for a 15-game spell, but the start-stop nature of his year – with IL stints in April and July – put a crimp on things as a whole.
“Hopefully I'll never have another year like that. But at the same time too, when you're learning about the injuries and what your body needs, it taught me a lot,” Bradfield said. “It taught me how to be patient, taught me how to really shift my mindset, how to take the positives and not look at the negatives. I was really just trying to stack the days and make it back so I can go out there and ultimately go and play and have fun, which is what I always want to do.”
Having the speed to steal bags is one thing but using it to impact the game defensively is another entirely. With the glove, the club’s 2023 first-round pick is yet again in a rarefied class, tied for the best field grade (70) in all of the Minors. Whether it’s hosing a runner on the basepaths or making a sensational grab, it’s all business for Bradfield who cites former Orioles center fielder Adam Jones as an influence, as well as current big leaguers Byron Buxton, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Corbin Carroll.
“I take a lot of pride in the defensive part of my game,” Bradfield said. “I feel like everybody should think it's something that's important. You're not always gonna be able to hit how you wanna hit. You can still impact the game by making a play, helping your team out.
“I think there's no better compliment than when you make a sick catch and your pitcher comes up and he's fired up, the staff is fired up because you helped to impact the team right there. So that's something that's very rewarding and I love doing it. They don't gotta thank me for anything, I'm just out there doing my job and I'll do it every time for them.”
Oftentimes, players are sent to the Fall League with a goal of making up for lost at-bats during the regular season. While Bradfield will undoubtedly get that as well, he’ll also get a chance to show off the most electric parts of his game before a 2026 campaign that the Orioles will enter without a tried-and-true long-term center fielder at the big league level.
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Orioles hitters in the Fall League:
Ethan Anderson, C/1B: Viewed as a plus hitter dating back to his days at the University of Virginia, where the O’s drafted him in the second round in 2024, Anderson has yet to consistently display extra-base impact in pro ball. But he’s still remained a solid offensive contributor, one who produced a .288 average and .391 on-base percentage from Aug. 1 forward to close out this year between High-A and Double-A. Drafted as a catcher, he’s also seen extensive time at first base and a smattering of appearances in the outfield corners; the Fall League figures to be a solid proving ground for him to continue garnering reps behind the dish.
Thomas Sosa, OF: At 6-foot-3 with a loose and impactful swing, Sosa has the type of prospect package that the Orioles have been excited about since he signed for $400,000 in January 2022. While injuries sidetracked him at the start of the year, he posted a 112 wRC+ across 47 games for Aberdeen with 17 of his 37 hits going for extra bases. Sosa, who has seen time at all three outfield spots, got a bump up to Double-A in September (where he homered in his first at-bat) at just 20 years old, with the Fall League the latest challenge the club has put in front of him.
Orioles pitchers in the Fall League:
Luis De Léon, LHP (No. 21): Signed for just $30,000 late in the 2021 international signing period, the Dominican Republic native has developed a power mix that could make him one of the premier steals in his class. His fastball sits 95-96 mph and can flirt with triple digits on occasion, while his mid-80s slider and low-80s changeup both get a solid amount of swing-and-miss. From Aug. 2 on, De Leon collected 59 strikeouts, tied for third in the Minors. The 22-year-old posted a 1.47 ERA and .163 average-against over his final seven appearances split between High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Chesapeake.
Sayer Diederich, LHP: A two-time MLB Draft League participant who had just finished up a stint in the independent Pioneer League this time last year, Diederich enjoyed a successful first foray into affiliate ball, posting a 3.29 ERA with 12.8 K/9 across 10 outings for Delmarva. A crafty southpaw who relies on movement and changing speeds, the Omaha native has an 88-91 mph heater with some sink, a mid-80s changeup and a low-80s breaker that can get some swing-and-miss outside the zone.
Carson Dorsey, LHP: A successful one-year stint with Florida State led to the O’s snagging Dorsey in the seventh round of the 2024 Draft. His first full run in pro ball was delayed until the summer, but he found his groove down the stretch with an 0.84 ERA and .114 average-against with 26 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings in his final four starts of the regular season for Delmarva. The 22-year-old has something of a unique motion and gets down the mound well, helping his 93-94 mph heater play up, while adding some deception to his low-80s changeup and high-70s curve.
Brandon Downer, RHP: Set to attend Kansas before the Orioles snagged him in the 13th round of the 2024 Draft, Downer made his pro debut this summer and showed some exciting polish. Never a big strikeout pitcher during his time at Cal Baptist (7.6 K/9), Downer worked in a multi-inning piggyback role across his time in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League and Single-A. He doesn’t have explosive stuff but his go-to strikeout offering is, fittingly, a curveball with sizable downer action. Batters posted just a .520 OPS against him in 25 innings for Delmarva with no home runs allowed.
Tanner Smith, RHP: One of six players that the Orioles acquired in the Ryan O’Hearn/Ramon Laureano deal with the Padres at the Trade Deadline, Smith is an imposing presence on the mound at 6-foot-6 with the power fastball/slider combo to back it up. A 15th-round pick out of Harvard in the 2024 Draft, he climbed as high as High-A to end the season with a dominant run: 5 1/3 innings, three hits, no runs, no walks and 11 strikeouts. He threw at least 20 pitches in six of his eight outings with the Orioles org and recorded multiple punchouts in 16 of his 25 appearances overall, giving him a fascinating multi-inning look.