Red Sox: Three up, three down heading into the All-Star break

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BOSTON, MA – JUNE 13: Jackie Bradley Jr. #19 of the Boston Red Sox returns to the dugout after hitting a three-run home run in the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park on June 13, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

Even when his bat is ice cold, which is most of the time, the Red Sox have at least been able to count on elite defense out of the glove of Jackie Bradley Jr. On rare occasions, however, JBJ has shown the ability to both field and hit at high levels.

For the majority of the 2019 season, Bradley Jr. couldn’t find a hit with a microscope. He batted .127 in April and went 6-42 through the first 20 days of May. June didn’t appear as though it would prove any different; he went 3-20 in the month’s opening eight games. Then, as it occasionally happens, he flipped a switch.

On June 9, in a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, JBJ went 2-for-4 with a double to kick off a seven-game hitting streak. Beginning with that game, he finished the month 25-for-69 with four home runs. Overall, he hit .315 with a .992 OPS in June and raised his season batting average to .236.

Bradley Jr. probably won’t sustain that production for very long. He’s so far finished only one season with a batting average over .249. JBJ has always been a very streaky hitter, and his hot streaks are short and rare. He’s on one now, so the Red Sox have to find a way to take advantage of it. A few extra wins in June and July thanks to Jackie’s bat could mean everything in October.

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