BOSTON — This time next year, Jackie Bradley Jr. could be destined for a September call-up.
That's if he keeps up his monster pace from 2012. In stints with Salem and Portland this season, Bradley was a mainstay on base, registering a .911 OPS in 128 games in the minors.
He's been praised for his plate discipline and is seemingly a vital component to Boston's rebuilding efforts. But the 22-year-old — who earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Red Sox farm system — insisted he wasn't the franchise's lone savior.
"It's definitely not going to take one person to fix solutions or anything," Bradley said. "It's just one of those times. It's baseball, it happens."
Fortunately for Bradley, he has a strong pedigree. During his time in Portland, the outfielder had the opportunity to brush shoulders with Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford — now with the Dodgers — as they rehabbed from injury.
With two All-Stars around briefly in July, Bradley soaked up the experience. He studied their mannerisms and disciplined routines, which he hopes will aid his transition from rising prospect to effective contributor.
"It was a great experience," Bradley said of spending time around Ellsbury and Crawford. "[Preparation], that's what is really key and sets them apart from us in the minors. It's that preparation and the time [management]. They have everything down to a tee with what they do.
"A lot of us might see it as unorganized, but they know what they have to do to get prepared for a game. Everyone has their own particular routine and just being able to do that exact same routine and having conviction, that's something I really saw in them."
It could benefit his development in the long run.
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