Jackie Bradley Jr. has put his 2021 struggles behind him.
The Boston Red Sox outfielder had an ugly season with the Milwaukee Brewers last year, batting just .163 with six home runs and 29 RBIs. Bradley was traded back to Boston — the team he spent his first eight Major League Baseball seasons with — just minutes before the lockout was put in place in December.
Bradley is enjoying a strong spring training that includes hitting home runs in the last two Red Sox games, and is in a positive headspace heading into the 2022 season.
“I’m in a great place,” Bradley told reporters Sunday, per The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. “I’m looking forward to it continuing during the season.
“All I need is belief in myself. What I have is good enough. Obviously you can have seasons happen like last year that are just trying, where it seems like everything that you do doesn’t work. But I’m continuing to put my head down, keep grinding, keep working. That’s what I do. I’m going to keep pushing forward.”
There never is any denying Bradley’s defense. He’s made highlight-reel catch after highlight-reel catch over the course of his career. Most of his struggles have come at the plate, but now that he’s back in familiar territory, maybe he will be able to have a successful season both offensively and defensively.
The Red Sox open their season on the road against the New York Yankees on Thursday.
