Ranked Texas Rangers #22 prospect in 2023
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Track Record: Bradford was the Big 12 pitcher of the year in 2018 but had surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome the next season. He also spent a summer with Chatham of the Cape Cod League, where he was teammates with future Blue Jays all-star Alek Manoah and future 1-1 pick Spencer Torkelson. The injury limited Bradford to just three starts in his draft year, but the Rangers still popped him in the sixth round. He reached Double-A in his pro debut and spent all of 2022 at the same level.
Scouting Report: Bradford works with a four-pitch mix led a fastball whose movement helps it play better than its low-90s velocity. The combination of a deceptive delivery and excellent extension makes the fastball extremely difficult to hit at the top of the zone, but he's at his best when he moves it around to all four quadrants. Bradford backs the fastball with a low-80s slider and a high-80s cutter. The latter was introduced because of an inconsistency in Bradford's delivery that allowed hitters to easily tell when the slider was coming. Longer extension meant fastball and shorter extension signaled a slider. The cutter gave Bradford a similar movement profile--albeit with firmer velocity--that he could achieve with the same delivery as his four-seamer. Bradford's best offspeed, however, is his 82-85 mph changeup, which kills spin effectively and can be a useful weapon in any count.
The Future: Bradford was inconsistent in the early portion of the season but figured it out later and got back to the best version of himself. He could fit in the back of a rotation if he carries that momentum into 2023.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 40. Changeup: 60. Cutter: 50. Control: 55