Former AL East Pitcher Makes Stunning Admission About Pre-Game Habits

Even the most stubborn critics of analytics would concede that it usually helps to know about the opponent.

Taj Bradley apparently hadn’t devoted much time to pre-game preparation. The third-year starting pitcher admitted, per the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Bobby Nightengale, that he never read a scouting report until Saturday’s start.

“I just never did it at all,” Bradley said. “I was kind of out there blind the whole time. After my last outing, I had a lot of soft contact, so I figured now is the time. OK, get your head in the books, learn a bit about the hitters you’re going up against.”

Bradley might want to do it more. The 24-year-old allowed one hit (a solo home run) over five innings in his second start with the Minnesota Twins. He notched six strikeouts, but the bullpen imploded in a 12-3 loss to the San Diego Padres.

It was quite the turnaround from Bradley surrendering seven runs in his Twins debut. The Tampa Bay Rays demoted Bradley with a 4.61 ERA before trading him to Minnesota for relief pitcher Griffin Jax on July 31.

Bradley teased considerable upside throughout his time in Tampa Bay. The former fifth-round pick would frequently alternate gems with blow-up outings, and the Boston Red Sox saw the good version of Bradley when he allowed one run over six innings on July 10.

Bradley has amassed 385 strikeouts in 364 career MLB innings, but he’s also served up 60 home runs and a 4.82 ERA.

While Bradley has the talent to thrive, he may need to study more to unlock his potential. That’s a valuable lesson for kids everywhere about the importance of doing your homework.