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.”
Baddoo and Serven’s 3-hit night not enough as Mud Hens lose to Indians
Indianapolis, IN-The Toledo Mud Hens squared off against the Indianapolis Indians on Thursday night, April 17, at Victory Field, with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. The Mud Hens got the bats going early, as veteran outfielder Ben Gamel led off Toledo’s hit column with a single in the top
Mud Hens battle in extra-innings, fall short to Indians 5-4
INDIANAPOLIS, IN-The Toledo Mud Hens squared off against the Indianapolis Indians on Wednesday, April 16, at Victory Field, with first pitch at 11:05 a.m. Hao-Yu Lee sparked the offense early with a leadoff single to left field, but the Mud Hens’ opening momentum was cut short by an inning-ending double
Hens fall 2-0 in series finale with Cubs
TOLEDO, OH - The Toledo Mud Hens dropped their series finale against the Iowa Cubs 2-0 Sunday afternoon. While pitching remained resilient for Toledo, their struggles on offense left them scoreless. Looking to secure a series tie, the Mud Hens went with Lael Lockhart on the mound. The southpaw came
Five-run ninth leads to Tuesday night win in Indy
Indianapolis, IN – The Toledo Mud Hens defeated the Indianapolis Indians at Victory Field, winning the first game of the home stand on Tuesday evening by a score of 11–6. Toledo sent right-hander Matt Manning to the mound, entering the game 0–1 with a 6.97 ERA. For Indy, right-hander Braxton
Mud Hens lose both games against Cubs in Saturday night double-header
TOLEDO, OH-The Toledo Mud Hens faced the Iowa Cubs in a seven inning double-header on Saturday, April 12th, at Fifth Third Field. In game one, Toledo opened with sharp defense behind starting pitcher Dietrich Enns, retiring the first six Iowa batters across the first two innings. However, the Mud Hens
Mud Hens take series lead against Cubs with 7-3 victory
TOLEDO, OH - The Toledo Mud Hens and the Iowa Cubs both looked to take a series lead in game three Friday night, but it would be the Mud Hens getting the best of the Cubs with a 7-3 victory. Toledo got ahead early and held on late by adding
Montero and the Hens shutout the Cubs
TOLEDO, OH - After a brutal 14-1 loss on Tuesday, the Mud Hens turned things around against the Cubs on Thursday with a 1-0 victory. The rainout on Wednesday put the Hens in an odd situation for pitching, but it turned out to be to their benefit. Toledo’s pitching staff
Alfonzo records a hit and RBI in Tuesday loss to Iowa
Toledo, OH – The Toledo Mud Hens opened their home stand on a rough note Tuesday night, falling 14-1 to the Iowa Cubs at Fifth Third Field. Left-hander Lael Lockhart took the mound for Toledo, entering the game with a 5.68 ERA. Iowa countered with righty Chris Flexen, who wasted
Back-and-forth scoring ends in loss to Round Rock
Round Rock, TX – The Toledo Mud Hens came up short in the series finale against the Round Rock Express on Sunday afternoon at Dell Diamond, falling 10-7 in a back-and-forth matchup. Right-hander Wilkel Hernandez (0-0, 3.00 ERA) made his first start of the season for the Mud Hens, while
Enns, Madris star in extra inning loss to Round Rock
ROUND ROCK, TX – The Toledo Mud Hens fell 6-4 in ten innings to the Round Rock Express on Saturday night at Dell Diamond. The Hens entered the night in search of their second win of the week, trying to position themselves for a series split on Sunday. The pitching
The Mud Hens aim for redemption after tough game against Round Rock
Round Rock, Texas-The Toledo Mud Hens squared off against the Round Rock Express on Friday, April 4, where, despite some solid individual performances, an early deficit proved too much for the Mud Hens to overcome, losing the game 7-1. Round Rock came out swinging, with their first four batters reaching
Lockhart dices up Express batters in rally attempt
The Mud Hens met with the Express for only the second time in the two clubs’ history Wednesday night in Round Rock, Texas. The two teams kept things tight all-game long, with the Express taking an early lead and the Hens working from behind let. In the end though, it
Mud Hens complete comeback in 12 innings against the Express
Round Rock, TX - The Toledo Mud Hens continued their trip down south with a wild 7-4 comeback win in extra innings against the Round Rock Express at Dell Diamond on Thursday night. While the Mud Hens struggled to put runs on the board early, the tables turned as Toledo’s
Wind plays big roll in Mud Hens 8-4 loss to Express
For the first time ever, the Toledo Mud Hens faced off against the Round Rock Express in the Triple-A Interleague series. The Hens would fall 8-4 to the Express. The windy conditions in Round Rock played a big role in the game, having game-changing impacts on both squads. Standing in
Hens fend off Clippers' rally for first win of the season
The Toledo Mud Hens picked up their first victory of the 2025 season with a 6-5 victory over the Columbus Clippers on Sunday. While the Clippers refused to lay down and die, the Hens were able to fend off a ninth inning rally. In the end, Toledo pitchers were able
Strong relief performance, late rallies fall short
Toledo, OH – The Toledo Mud Hens fell to the Columbus Clippers 7-6 despite a valiant comeback attempt on Saturday afternoon at Fifth Third Field. Matt Manning toed the rubber for the Mud Hens, while Ryan Webb took the ball for the visitors in game two. The Hens took a
Hens hit three home runs in front of Opening Day crowd
The Toledo Mud Hens opened the 2025 season in front of over 12,000 fans with an 8-5 loss against the Columbus Clippers Friday afternoon. The Hens and Clippers went back and forth all game, but ultimately fell short. Toledo went with lefty Lael Lockhart as the Opening Day starter who,
Gabe Alvarez named 2025 Mud Hens manager
Toledo, OH – The Detroit Tigers and Toledo Mud Hens announced that Gabe Alvarez has been named manager of the Triple-A affiliate for the 2025 season. Alvarez is the 12th person to manage the Mud Hens at Fifth Third Field and the 60th in Toledo baseball history. Alvarez comes to