Bradfield dedicates Spring Breakout performance to late friend
SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was about more than playing in the national spotlight. More than the dinner bet placed with an old college teammate earlier in the month. More than a game. As Enrique Bradfield Jr. slid home to score a run during the first inning of Saturday night’s Spring
SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was about more than playing in the national spotlight. More than the dinner bet placed with an old college teammate earlier in the month. More than a game.
As Enrique Bradfield Jr. slid home to score a run during the first inning of Saturday night’s Spring Breakout showcase between Orioles and Yankees prospects at Ed Smith Stadium -- aired live across the country on MLB Network -- he let out all of his emotions. He screamed loudly in celebration, putting a challenging week behind him in the process.
That hustle play was made for Isaiah Hood, Bradfield’s former teammate during his high school travel ball days in South Florida who died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 25 on Tuesday.
“For me to come out here, it’s meant a lot to me, personally,” said Bradfield, Baltimore’s No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline, who was born in Pembroke Pines, Fla. “To be able to give my mom a hug and see how emotional she is, see my sister still come out here, and I guess just play for my friend. It was tougher than I expected, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. I hope he’s resting up there. It’s just been a tough week for everybody that I’ve been around -- for my family, friends, his family. Playing with a heavy heart.”
Hood was a fellow baseball player who graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in 2019. He remained in Bradfield’s mind throughout Saturday night.
“A very quiet kid. Once you got him in a comfortable setting, he really opened up,” Bradfield said. “He’s a great friend, great person, great big brother, great son, all the way around. There’s a lot of people, including myself, including my family, who are hurting right now. Just made the past couple of days very tough. Trying to stay busy, keep my mind in good spirits. But at the end of the day, it’s a loss of life that can’t be replaced. It’s just hard. It’s very tragic and hard all the way around.”
Bradfield put on the type of performance during the Orioles’ 5-4 win that he was sure would have made his friend proud.
In the bottom of the first, Bradfield slapped a leadoff single to left-center field. He moved from first to third on an errant pickoff throw by New York right-hander Carlos Lagrange, showing off the 80-grade speed that helped make him the O’s first-round Draft pick in 2023.
“That guy runs way too much. He's way too fast,” top Orioles prospect Samuel Basallo said via team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “It’s really impressive what he's able to do.”
Then, Lagrange uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Bradfield to take off. The 23-year-old bolted home, dove headfirst and gave max effort in trying to score -- which he did successfully, touching the plate before moving his arms in a safe motion in unison with the home-plate umpire.
It was a run more meaningful than most scored by Bradfield over two professional seasons.
“I’m trying to be focused out there, and my energy in that moment, sliding across home plate specifically, just maybe some emotion comes out of me, and that’s normal,” said Bradfield, who finished 2-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored. “It’s life. Bad things happen, and you’ve got to pick yourself up and keep moving forward.”
Baseball can help the healing process, which has frequently been proven throughout the sport’s long history. Bradfield felt that way after playing alongside the friends he’s made in the Orioles’ farm system, many of whom put on impressive Spring Breakout performances of their own.
Bradfield started in left field and shared the outfield with two fellow primary center fielders -- Vance Honeycutt (Baltimore’s No. 5 prospect) in center and Jud Fabian (No. 23) in right.
Honeycutt (the O’s first-round Draft pick in 2024) hit an inside-the-park homer in the fourth for his first home run since joining the organization. Fabian made an impressive jumping catch in the sixth.
The exhibition ended in walk-off fashion, with Leandro Arias (the Orioles’ No. 20 prospect) hitting a game-winning two-out RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth.
After Bradfield celebrated with all of Baltimore’s talented youngsters who stormed the field, he took a moment to be with his family. Then, he joined up with four of his former Vanderbilt University teammates -- O’s righty Patrick Reilly and Yankees prospects Spencer Jones, Bryce Cunningham and Greysen Carter -- for a group picture at home plate.
Bradfield also reminded Jones that he won their bet and that Jones must now buy Bradfield dinner in the near future.
“I’m definitely going to pick somewhere nice,” Bradfield said.
At the end of the night, it was important to Bradfield to spend some additional time with people who are close to him. He was eventually the final player to leave the field, after signing autographs for every kid that came up to the netting.
More reminders of what the sport means to Bradfield as he continued to mourn the loss of his close friend Hood.
“Us guys who play together -- whether we came across each other years in advance or whatever it may be -- when you step in that locker room,” Bradfield said, “it’s a special bond that you never forget.”
Whisenhunt Carves Way to PCL Pitcher of the Week Honor
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Left-hander Carson Whisenhunt shut down the Salt Lake Bees in his only appearance last week, matching his season best in strikeouts with nine over six clean frames to be named the PCL Pitcher of the Week for April 15-20. The East Carolina product was in a
Cats Drop Finale, Split Series with Bees
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Three straight run-scoring innings proved to be the difference between the Sacramento River Cats and the Salt Lake Bees on Sunday, as the Bees tallied one run each in the third through fifth innings en route to a 5-2 win over Sacramento in the series finale.
Three-Run First Sends Sacramento to 5-0 Win
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A three-run first for the Sacramento River Cats put them well on the way to victory on Saturday night against the Salt Lake Bees, using the early momentum from the bats to cruise to a 5-0 shutout of Salt Lake in game five of the series.
Sacramento Snaps Slump, Slugs Bees 11-8
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento River Cats snapped their offensive slump in a big way on Friday evening, producing four-straight multi-run frames that culminated in a grand slam to help Sacramento sting the Salt Lake Bees by an 11-8 final. It was the Bees (9-10) that started the scoring,
Cats Avoid Shutout but Fall 5-1
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – For a second straight game the Sacramento River Cats were staring down a shutout heading into the ninth inning, and though they managed to scrape together a run, the Salt Lake Bees captured game three of the series by a 5-1 final. Despite being saddled with
River Cats Stymied by Bees, 4-1
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Four of the game’s five runs were scored during the final two innings, but unfortunately the majority went against the Sacramento River Cats as the Salt Lake Bees scored once early and added insurance late for a 4-1 at Sutter Health Park on Wednesday. Though two
Cats’ Comeback Falls Short, Walked Off by Rainiers
TACOMA, Wash. – Trailing 7-1 entering the final third of the contest, the Sacramento River Cats nearly pulled off a late-game comeback that saw a clutch two-out three-run homer from Marco Luciano, but the Tacoma Rainiers homered on the first pitch in the ninth for a walk-off 10-9 victory over
Villar’s Drives in Three for Sacramento’s Fourth Straight Win
TACOMA, Wash. – David Villar provided all the offense needed for the Sacramento River Cats on Friday night, driving in three with a trio of hits for a 3-1 Sacramento victory over the Tacoma Rainiers. The first two innings came and went quickly, setting up the top of the third
Cats’ Bats Hot on Cold Night in Tacoma
TACOMA, Wash. – A rainy night in Tacoma, Wash. Could not stop the Sacramento River Cats’ bats from catching fire as Sacramento exploded for a season-high 17 runs on 17 hits en route to a 17-7 win over the Tacoma Rainiers. After starting eight minutes late due to rain that
Late Home Run Lifts Sacramento to 3-1 Victory
TACOMA, Wash. – Locked in a 1-1 game heading into the latter stages, the Sacramento River Cats found some late-game heroics from Osleivis Basabe when his two-run homer pushed Sacramento to a 3-1 win over the Tacoma Rainiers on Wednesday. Both squads scored once in the third inning, as the
Big Fourth Frame Enough for Sacramento Against Tacoma
TACOMA, Wash. – A six-run explosion in the fourth inning was all the offense needed by the Sacramento River Cats on Tuesday, as Sacramento eased its way to a 6-1 victory over the Tacoma Rainiers in their series opener. In a game that started just after 7 p.m. due to
Carson Seymour Tabbed PCL Pitcher of the Week
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A dominant start for Carson Seymour has earned hardware from Minor League Baseball, as the Sacramento River Cats right-hander was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for April 1-6. Though he had just one outing, which came in game three of the series
River Cats Stay Close Until Late Against Aviators
LAS VEGAS – Twice in the early goings the Sacramento River Cats were able to knot the score with the Las Vegas Aviators, but in the end the Aviators put the game away with a six-run eighth to take the series finale by a score of 11-4 on Sunday. A
Wisely Homer Enough for Sacramento on Saturday
LAS VEGAS – A two-run blast from Brett Wisely in the top of the third was all the scoring needed by the Sacramento River Cats on Saturday, getting an early lift from the offense while the pitching did the rest of the work in a 2-0 shutout win over the
Early Cats Lead Slips Against Aviators
LAS VEGAS – Three straight runs helped the Sacramento River Cats build an early lead in game three of their series, but a pair of multi-run innings for the Las Vegas Aviators swung the game in favor of the home team by a 6-4 final on Friday. A Grant McCray
Cats Bunt Way to Extra-Innings Victory
LAS VEGAS – A two-run triple in the seventh erased the Sacramento River Cats’ lead on Thursday against the Las Vegas Aviators, but Sacramento persevered with a pair of runs in the 10th frame to win both its first road and extra-innings game by a 4-2 final. A well-timed stolen
Aviators Fly Over River Cats in Series Opener
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Six consecutive run-scoring innings, four of which were multi-run frames, were too much for the Sacramento River Cats to overcome as the Las Vegas Aviators controlled the series opener by a score of 14-2 on Tuesday. Pitching for the River Cats (2-2) had been stiff throughout
Brett Auerbach Named PCL Player of the Week
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Following an opening weekend in which he homered in both of the first two contests of the season, Sacramento River Cats infielder Brett Auerbach has been named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for March 28-30. For the series, Auerbach logged a hit in
Sacramento Denied Sweep as Albuquerque Takes Finale, 2-1
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A Brett Auerbach RBI double in the home half of the first seemed to put the Sacramento River Cats on the way to a series sweep, but the Albuquerque Isotopes fought back with a run in the third and fifth innings to steal the finale by
River Cats Ride Pitching to 2-0 Start
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Strong pitching efforts have spurred the Sacramento River Cats to a 2-0 start, as on Saturday the Sacramento staff shut down the Albuquerque Isotopes offense for most of the night while the River Cats used timely hitting for a 5-1 win. There was only one blip
Sacramento Starts Strong, Shuts Out Albuquerque
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Much like they did in 2024, the Sacramento River Cats started the 2025 in shutout fashion as Sacramento put together a complete effort in taking down the Albuquerque Isotopes, 8-0. Though not an identical copy of last season, there were many similarities in the 2025 River
Cats Claw Back, Bite Giants 4-3 In Exhibition
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – While big brother took the lead early, little brother got the last laugh with four unanswered runs as the Sacramento River Cats took down the San Francisco Giants by a final of 4-3 on Sunday night. The Giants (0-1), serving as the home team while visiting
River Cats Announce Partnership with Advanced Building Maintenance
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento River Cats and Sutter Health Park have announced a new multi-year partnership with Advanced Building Maintenance to lead engineering and janitorial services for the team and Sutter Health Park. “We are pleased to be partnering with Advanced Building Maintenance as we embark on a
The Nine — Reggie Crawford: Fluid as Water
Throughout February, MLB, MiLB and the Sacramento River Cats will celebrate the contributions and achievements of the Black baseball community, past and present, during Black History Month.
Kimberly-Clark Professional Becomes Proud Partner of Golden 1 Center and Sutter Health Park
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today, the Golden 1 Center and Sutter Health Park announced a new multi-year, sustainability-focused partnership with Kimberly-Clark Professional™. Fans attending Kings and River Cats home games will benefit from Kimberly-Clark Professional’s high-quality paper towels, soap, and toilet paper, reinforcing both venues’ commitment to cleanliness and environmental responsibility.