SPEED THRILLS

Enrique Bradfield Jr. is one of the draft's most polarizing prospects. Is his speed-oriented game a liability or the perfect fit for the new MLB landscape?

- CARLOS COLLAZO

Vanderbilt center fielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. is one of the most unusual college players in the country.

In one of the most homer-friendly offensive environments in Division I history, Bradfield is more likely to drop down a bunt and start a mad dash to first base than take a big hack from the left side and deposit a ball over the fence.

In a year when program records for home runs are falling by the wayside and myriad players are setting new career marks for power, Bradfield homered just six times-two shy of his single-season record of eight in 2022 and has never reached double-digit homers in his career.

Instead, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound center fielder has a tool set and style of play that would have fit perfectly in the 1980s.

Bradfield has a speed-oriented game built on his top-of-the-scale running ability and stellar defensive work in center field.

Bradfield still instills fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers-and certainly catchers-but it's more due to the fact that any ground ball put in play can turn into a hit. Or any pitch out of the zone will likely stay there and be taken for a ball. Or any single will quickly turn into a double by way of the easiest stolen base you will see.

Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin called Bradfield a dynamic player who "impacts the game on both sides of the ball" and has an easy case for the title of the most exciting player in the country.

At the same time, there's also a case to be made for Bradfield being one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2023 draft.

How exactly will teams handle an outlier tool set for a first-round talent in a college outfielder demographic that is historically valued, first and foremost, for impact and power? And how do recent MLB rules changes that have dramatically altered the style of play impact how a speed-oriented player is valued by scouting departments?