Top prospect Bradley gets pumped, then gets souvenir

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Baseball’s top prospects carry hype with them everywhere they go, sometimes from the moment they’re drafted. These chosen few must balance countless expectations, but they carry so much talent that it’s easy to forget just how young they are.

And so it was the ultimate feel-good moment on Sunday to see MLB’s No. 20 overall prospect Taj Bradley genuinely excited about jamming Red Sox veteran Justin Turner.

• Q&A: Top prospect Bradley on pro journey, more

“I'm extremely satisfied; it's a good way to break in,” Bradley said following his Grapefruit League debut in the Rays’ 7-6 loss to Boston at JetBlue Park. “[I threw] five out of seven strikes and faced some good guys while doing it. Kind of got the jitters all out, and [I’m] ready for the next outing, hopefully two innings.”

Turner has logged just seven fewer big league seasons than the years Bradley, 21, has been alive. For a moment in the first inning, though, the two squared off as equals, and Bradley finished him with a 98 mph fastball off the handle.

The first-pitch offering skied harmlessly above first base and then floated down into Jonathan Aranda’s glove, though Turner connected solidly enough to leave a sizable pine tar stain on the cover of the ball.

We know this because the ball found its way back to Bradley after his outing, a souvenir for a job well done. No doubt remembering what life was like as a 24-year-old rookie with the O’s in 2009, Turner was a good sport about it all.

"I saw one pitch, a fastball,” Turner said. “Actually, it got in on me, and there's a big pine tar mark on the ball. Apparently, he got the ball back because he sent it over and asked me to sign it for him, so I signed it and sent it back over."

As Bradley noted, he needed just seven pitches to sit down the Red Sox in order in the first. Five went for strikes as he bested Tristan Casas, Rafael Devers and Turner. His fastball lived between 96-98 mph, numbers he admitted might have been boosted by the adrenaline he had in facing big names for the first time.

Manager Kevin Cash wasn’t complaining.

“I’m sure it was a little bit of a rush for him,” he said. “Devers is as good as anybody in the game, so hopefully, he enjoyed it, and I'm not saying he was overly nervous, but if he had any nerves going, he’ll be that much better for it next time.”

A lot of what Bradley displayed on Sunday was talent, but what fans didn’t see were the countless extra hours of preparation the righty has logged to give him an edge. Due to the effects of Hurricane Ian, the Rays are currently operating out of the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, roughly a three-hour bus ride from Fort Myers. Bradley wasn’t on the roster for Saturday’s game but opted to come down a day early anyway.

“He's like, 'Hey, I want to keep my routine. Whatever it is. I'm gonna get here [Saturday], watch the game and not have to wake up at 6 in the morning to get on the bus,' so you can appreciate the maturity right there,” Cash said.

It’s that same attitude that saw the Rays’ No. 1 prospect in 2022 rocket through the Minors while posting a 22-16 record and a 2.61 ERA across four years and 73 appearances (70 starts). Bradley struck out 345 against 95 walks in 310 2/3 innings in that stretch, topping out with Triple-A Durham in the second half of last season.

Should Bradley continue to make adjustments, stay healthy and demonstrate his aptitude, it’s not impossible that he joins the Rays at some point this season. That’s certainly his goal, and even though he’ll turn 22 before the season begins, that’s still pretty young to crack a big league roster.

The earlier, the better, if you’re asking Bradley. After his first taste of success on Sunday, he’s eager to add to his souvenir pile.