Finally, we come to the sad state of Jackie Bradley Jr.‘s offense. The glove and the arm are as golden as ever, but his bat, as it has year after year, has thus far disappointed. At his height, in 2016, he was a .267 hitter with 26 home runs. In each year since, his numbers have declined sharply in almost every batting category. He and Porcello could start a club for Red Sox players who peaked in 2016.
Currently, Bradley Jr. is batting a meager .149, which translates to 14 hits in 94 at-bats. He’s struck out 32 times against just 10 walks and carries a slugging percentage almost as low as his batting average. This all adds up to no added value at the plate. He isn’t hitting, he isn’t putting the ball in play, and he isn’t getting on base. Though he’ll probably warm up a bit given time, and may even enjoy some truly (and briefly) hot streaks, we’re probably looking at another poor season at the plate for JBJ.
If not for his stellar defense, Bradley Jr. probably would not be a starter at this point in his career. Even in his better offensive years, he was always a streaky hitter, and his cold streaks have usually lasted longer than his hot ones. Luckily, the other eight batters in the lineup are more than capable of picking up the slack. Still, it never feels good to know there’s a guaranteed (more or less) out in the order.