SARASOTA, Fla. — For a first-round draft pick, Enrique Bradfield Jr. has managed to fly under the radar among prospect evaluators.

The consensus among scouts on the Orioles’ outfield prospect is that he already has the speed and defensive prowess to make an impact at the major league level. The burning question is whether he will be able to get on base enough to justify his spot on the roster.

Bradfield’s performance Sunday in the Orioles’ 8-7 spring training win over the Boston Red Sox was evidence that he doesn’t need to generate much hard contact to make his presence felt in a ballgame. He started the afternoon with a running catch in right field, extending his glove back over his head to rob Red Sox outfielder Kristian Campbell of extra bases.

Enrique HOW?! pic.twitter.com/KDtJpBZnld

— Orioles Player Development (@OsPlayerDev) March 1, 2026

“It’s pretty funny, [center fielder Colton] Cowser moved me in right before that pitch,” Bradfield said. “So, he looked over, he was like, ‘Oh, that’s my bad.’ I’m like, ‘What, are you trying to sabotage me over here?’ But no, it’s just what I can do. Obviously, I like to challenge myself on defense, especially with the depth that I’m playing at. I feel very comfortable pretty much in every aspect of being out there.”

The No. 17 overall pick out of Vanderbilt in 2023, Bradfield also reached base three times, drawing a pair of throwing errors on infield groundballs and working a walk on a 3-2 count. The first error was a routine play for third baseman Marcelo Mayer, but he rushed the throw and first baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa had to step off the bag to corral it. Though Bradfield was later thrown out trying to steal second, there are no replay challenges in spring, and he appeared to have gotten there in time.

His next at-bat, Bradfield bunted the ball to the left side of the infield. Pitcher Justin Slaten got to it in plenty of time, but he bare-handed it and threw it wide, and Bradfield motored all the way around to third base before the Red Sox got the ball back in. His sprint speed on the play was 30.5 feet per second. For context, Trea Turner led MLB with an average sprint speed of 30.3 feet per second last season.

A bunt that resulted in Orioles prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. standing on 3rd base by the end of the play?

There’s that 80-grade speed again! An elite sprint speed of 30.5 feet/second on this one, per Statcast.

(Ruled a single and advanced on error) pic.twitter.com/UrHnaaaCDc

— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) March 1, 2026

“That’s the type of player I’m going to be and that’s the type of things that I can do,” Bradfield said. “I can affect the game. Obviously, I put down that bunt — it probably wasn’t even my best bunt — but just kind of the idea that I’m moving down the line and I’m moving well probably got to the pitcher and he may have rushed it a little bit. With that being said, I feel like I can impact the game in a lot of ways in every aspect of the game, so I’m just going to keep working and keep improving on what I’ve been doing.”

Bradfield, 24, is set to play for Team Panama in the World Baseball Classic before likely returning to Triple-A Norfolk to begin the season. Injuries limited him to 76 games last year, but he posted a .393 on-base percentage in Double-A before being promoted to Norfolk late in the season. If he can continue to get on at a high clip — his OBP in the Arizona Fall League was .341 — he has the chance of developing into a true leadoff hitter for the Orioles (5-4-1) even if the power never comes around.

“The speed was on display today,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “That was fun to watch. I’m glad he bunted for a hit. Good to see him open up a little bit, but that contact read right there [on the run he scored in the sixth], that was awesome. The jump he had, and then the closing speed at home was really impressive, and the closing speed on that catch was impressive as well.”

Bassitt says ABS challenges is ‘a catcher thing’

Count starter Chris Bassitt among the pitchers who won’t be issuing any challenges in the new automated ball-strike (ABS) system this season.

Bassitt, 37, made his Orioles spring debut Sunday, his first Grapefruit League appearance with the ABS system in effect. He allowed two runs on two hits and two walks with zero strikeouts in two-plus innings of work. His catcher, Samuel Basallo, challenged a called ball and lost, but that was the only pitch that went under review with him on the mound.

Orioles’ Chris Bassitt on the ABS system:

“From a personal level, I don’t believe that pitchers should ever challenge. Just because we have too much movement.” pic.twitter.com/e0jpFMOpsn

— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) March 1, 2026

“From a personal level, I don’t believe that pitchers should ever challenge,” Bassitt said after his outing. “Just because we have too much movement. I’m not sitting back there and catching the ball. So, we’re talking about the very fine-line pitches. If it was up to me, I would have challenged probably six today and got a lot of them wrong.

“I don’t even have that in my head that I’m challenging pitches. It’s more so just my relationship with the umpire and trying to understand his zone, just like I’ve done my whole entire career. And then the challenges are literally a catcher thing, in my opinion.”

As for Sunday’s performance, Bassitt aimed to throw mostly fastballs to “remind my arm that we’re going.” He threw fastballs on 23 of his 40 pitches, averaging 90.4 mph on his sinker and 89.8 mph with his four-seamer. Both were a tick slower than his averages from 2025, but he still has about four weeks to build up his velocity before opening day.

“It’s just building pitch count right now,” Bassitt said. “Facing an inter-division team, you’re not going to obviously game plan for them and throw a specific way, so to speak. So, today was all about just throwing a bunch of heaters, different types of heaters and just building arm strength within the heaters kind of thing of just getting my lines the right way. So, yeah, that was the plan today.”

Around the horn

• Basallo returned from his two-game absence caused by an abdominal injury and showed no signs of limitations, going 2-for-2 at the plate with a double and a walk. Basallo’s two-bagger nearly left the yard and he watched it fly for a few seconds before running, but he had to settle for a two-run, ground-rule double.

• Outfielder Heston Kjerstad continued his scorching hot start to spring with a 3-for-3 day, highlighted by a left-on-left double off Red Sox starter Ranger Suárez in the second inning. Kjerstad finished the game with a .429/.476/.714 slash line in 15 plate appearances so far in Grapefruit League play. Fellow outfielder Dylan Beavers collected two doubles, as well.

• Even as far as spring training games go, Sunday’s contest was a sloppy affair. The two sides combined for five errors, the Orioles scored a pair of runs on wild pitches and the Red Sox blew a 6-1 lead. Even home plate umpire Erich Bacchus looked like he was shaking off some rust with three pitches overturned by ABS review.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich. Matt appears as a regular host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast.