Vanderbilt outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. selected by Baltimore Orioles in 2023 MLB Draft

Vanderbilt Commodores outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. has been selected in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles with the No. 17 overall pick in the first round.

Enrique Bradfield Jr. played three seasons at Vanderbilt and was a consensus All-American following the 2022 season. During his career, Bradfield Jr. hit for a .311 batting average, 15 home runs, and 108 RBIs in 191 games played.

More than anything else, Enrique Bradfield Jr. was known for his baserunning ability, stealing 130 bases in his college career while only getting thrown out 13 total times. The single season MLB record is held by Rickey Henderson, who stole 130 bases in the 1982 season. So, while Bradfield Jr. is still off that pace, he is still a remarkable talent in this regard, especially as MLB rule changes make it easier to steal bases.

“Bradfield has top-of-the-line speed and knows how to make the most of it. He’s a disruptive force on the bases and an elite defender, maximizing his talents by working to refine his craft as a basestealer and center fielder. His quickness bolsters his on-base ability and helps him compensate for a below-average arm by allowing him to reach grounders in a hurry,” MLB.com wrote.

“With game-changing speed and a slender frame, Bradfield understands what he needs to do on offense. He focuses on making contact with a flat left-handed swing, uses the entire field and excels at bunting for base hits. While he’ll never be a slugger, he does have some sneaky pop to his pull side and swatted 14 homers the last two seasons after going deep just once as a freshman.”

More on the 2023 MLB Draft

The 2023 Major League Baseball Draft will begin during All-Star week, with the first two rounds getting underway at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 9. Rounds 3-10 will then begin at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, July 10, with rounds 11-20 starting at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 11.

This year’s MLB Draft is a historic one, as a draft lottery was used to determine the order for the first time. The Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland Athletics each had a 16.5% chance to receive the No. 1 overall pick. Ultimately, Pittsburgh won the right to have the first selection, with Washington finishing right behind them at No. 2. Oakland, however, fell all the way down to No. 6 overall.

While the MLB Draft is always unpredictable, the consensus is that this year’s top prospects both hail from LSU, who won the 2023 College World Series. Pitcher Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews headline this year’s class, which is considered a deep one.

Within the first ten rounds of the draft, each slot is assigned a certain value. Each team has a bonus pool that they are able to spend on these picks, and players will sign at, above or below their assigned slot value.

In rounds 11-20, there is no assigned slot value and MLB teams are free to spend up to $150,000 to sign their picks from the second half of the draft. If they exceed the $150,000 mark, that added amount will be deducted from their bonus pool.

Following the final day of the 2023 MLB Draft, selected players will have until August 1 to sign a contract.