Jackie Bradley Jr.: Is the Production Legit?

Too often than not in the sports world, we are quick to write off players or prospects that fail to make an immediate impact or fail to live up to the hype that surrounds them. Jackie Bradley Jr. was an example of this as fans were more than willing to place the “bust” label on Bradley after two seasons.

Bradley’s defensive ability was never in doubt, but the Red Sox were expecting a more all-around producer that would anchor their outfield for the immediate future. Even with the glove being at an advanced stage, the bat was nowhere to be found.

Over his two seasons with the Red Sox, Bradley struggled immensely at the plate. Over the course of 530 plate appearances, he only hit 4 homers and hit for an awful .194 AVG , making him an extreme liability at the dish.

More from FanSided

It was abundantly clear that Bradley was not ready for the show and he desperately needed to make some type of adjustment at the plate in order for him to even become a respectable OF option.

When examining Bradley’s swing, it was clear where the problem was. His swing was just way too long and it never allowed him to get full extension nor the correct timing. He had to shorten up his swing somehow or he would have likely never make it at the big league level.

Once he came up to the majors in 2015, it seemed as though he was still stuck with an elongated swing as he struggled again early on. However, early on in August, he began to make a subtle yet effective adjustment at the plate.

We often see hitters in this day and age of baseball have exaggerated leg lifts, as more hitters are trying to do what ever they have to generate power. There are also hitters that use an exaggerated toe tap to serve as a timing method. The great hitters have mastered these techniques, but for Bradley to become effective he had to eliminate as many moving parts as he could.

This is exactly what he has done, and if you notice him at the plate, he has gotten rid of the toe tap, thus shortening his swing and squaring the ball up at a more consistent rate. For me, this is why I think he is worth a pickup going forward.