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Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley heating up

By Sean Penney

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. is starting to show that the offensive outburst he showed late last season wasn’t a fluke.

Apr 13, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (25) hits a triple during the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 13, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (25) hits a triple during the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

Is it August already? It sure seems like it, given how Jackie Bradley’s scorching success at the plate this week has been reminiscent of his second half surge in 2015.

The 26-year old outfielder entered the season with lingering questions about his offensive potential. His elite defensive skills were enough to earn him the starting center field spot on Opening Day, but would his bat produce enough to warrant an everyday spot in the lineup?

We saw flashes of what Bradley was capable of last August, when he opened some eyes around the league by hitting .354 with a 1.163 OPS for the month. His success wasn’t the result of a few cheap hits here and there either, as 17 of his 28 hits that month went for extra bases, including 5 homers. Yet as hot as he was at the plate during this stretch, it still represented a sample of only about three weeks that seemed to be a clear outlier from the rest of his big league career.

When Bradley cooled off in September to wind down the season, it left many to wonder if that offensive explosion was a sign of things to come or a mirage created by the summer’s heat.

Next: Turning his season around

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