BALTIMORE – It’s easy to forget that Taj Bradley just turned 25.
Bradley was a fifth-round Draft pick of the Rays back in 2018, the same year as established teammates Trevor Larnach, Ryan Jeffers and Joe Ryan. He was a top-100 prospect entering the 2022 season. And he already has more than 150 starts and 750 innings in professional baseball under his belt.
But Bradley is still young – the second-youngest pitcher and third-youngest player on the Twins. And he’s still learning.
Bradley, who has some of the best pure stuff in the game, feels he’s finally getting out of his own way in his first full season with the Twins. He’s working to make sure frustrations don’t derail him, and he keeps baseball in perspective. From the looks of a spring in which he racked up strikeouts and impressed teammates with his willingness to listen and learn, it’s working.
“It’s just me being hardheaded [in the past],” said Bradley, who was acquired from the Rays at last year's Trade Deadline. “I stuck to what I was good at and stuck to what I knew, you know. If it’s different, it gets scary, so you don’t even want to walk down that path.
"What I’ve done in the past is what I felt I solidified on. Going into the offseason, I figured I’d take different routines, different practices and bring it into this year.”
Bradley will take the mound for Minnesota against the Orioles on Saturday in the second game of the season, a clear expression of faith from his new organization. Even before Pablo López’s Spring Training right elbow injury, which required Tommy John surgery, Bradley was a clear favorite to make the team’s rotation. The Twins see Bradley’s ability and dream on the pitcher he could be. They also see his evolution.
“I think for a young pitcher that’s got power stuff, sometimes they have to go through failures," said manager Derek Shelton. “They have to go through situations to be able to realize, ‘All right, it’s time to mature, it’s time to grow up,’ and the fact that he’s acknowledging that No. 1 is probably the first step. … In terms of the things that I previously had heard about him and how he went about it, I would definitely think there’s signs of maturity there.”
For Bradley, who was sent to Triple-A in the midst of some struggles with the Rays last year, the team’s belief means the world.
“It gives you a lot of confidence,” Bradley said. “As a young guy, especially being new to the organization, me and Mick [Abel] were talking -- able to break camp with the team, have a great Spring Training, we were bouncing ideas off each other. Just to know that they have a lot of confidence in us and have big views for us in the future like that, it just helps keep us going.”
It’s not just the organization. Bradley is enjoying his new teammates, be they younger or more experienced. His comfort level is obvious in the clubhouse.
“I enjoy being here,” Bradley said. “I love it, man. Everybody is cool as hell. We talk to each other. We build each other up. We talk nonsense. We talk serious stuff.
"We’ve got great vet guys at every position who talk to the next younger guy. ... Me talking to [Byron Buxton], Josh Bell, [Victor] Caratini or [Ryan Jeffers]; you can get good advice even though they don’t pitch. You can feed off that.”
They’re enjoying Bradley as well.
“He’s just a great person and obviously a talent on the field,” said Ryan, who also came from the Rays organization. “Just excited to see all the work he’s been putting in and how consistent he is with all that. It was super fun to watch him last year, grow a little bit more. He’s excited and loves the game, so it’s fun to watch him.”
One early sign of Bradley’s growing maturity was his decision to remove himself from the World Baseball Classic to concentrate on getting ready for the season. Another came during his final spring start Sunday against the Braves, when he made a throwing error that led to a three-run first inning, then settled in and turned in a strong performance for the rest of the game.
“Say [forget] it,” Bradley said. “There’s still more game to play. What, I’m supposed to walk out and be upset and be defeated? That’s why every time, even after a rough inning, I run back out on the mound. I’m still excited to get out there and make somebody upset when they walk back to the dugout afterward.”