Cleveland Indians: Minor Leaguer Bobby Bradley Mashing His Way Up Prospect Rankings

Cleveland Indians minor leaguer Bobby Bradley is tearing up opposing pitching in the Carolina League for the Lynchburg Hillcats.

The Cleveland Indians have gotten plenty of offensive production in 2016 from the first base-designated hitter combination of Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana, as the pair have combined to hit 56 home runs and drive in 151 runs heading into play on Wednesday afternoon.

Beyond this season and looking into the future, it appears that the Tribe could continue to see major offensive firepower at the position, as minor leaguer Bobby Bradley has done nothing but mash opposing pitching in his three professional seasons. On Tuesday night, the 20-year old hit two home runs in an 8-4 victory for the Class-A Advanced Lynchburg Hillcats, raising his season total to 28.

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Bradley, a third round pick in the 2014 MLB draft, is slashing .245/.352/.492 on the season in 119 games in Lynchburg, with 100 RBIs to go along with the home runs. As a result, he has risen up the prospect rankings, coming in at No. 3 in the Cleveland organization according to MLB Pipeline  and No. 75 in all of baseball.

“When our hitting coordinator got in town, we all sat down and had video to look at and talked about what I am doing, what I can be doing better and what are the things I need to work on,” he said in an interview with MiLB.com. “I think that’s going to help moving forward — me and [Lynchburg hitting coach Larry Day] are going to work in the cages every day at that.”

In 2015, playing for the Lake County Captains of the full season Class-A Midwest League, Bradley slashed .269/.361/.529 in 108 games, with 27 homers and 92 RBIs. For his career, he has 63 longballs and 242 RBIs in 268 games.

The Hillcats are 79-49 this season and headed to the Carolina League playoffs after winning the Northern Division’s first half with a 45-25 record. The club is also vying to win the second half crown as well, and currently sits in a first place tie with the Potomac Nationals at 34-24.

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While Bradley is still likely a couple of years away from the big leagues, the pure power he has displayed in his short time as a pro points towards his name being cemented in the middle of the order of future Indians’ lineups for years to come. With continued development, he could be a cornerstone for the team’s next generation.