The Big Lead

ESPN tabs recently retired Red Sox All-Star as analyst

By J.P. Hoornstra

Apr 29, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Christian Arroyo (39) greeted by outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (19) after his two run home run in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Apr 29, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Christian Arroyo (39) greeted by outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (19) after his two run home run in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
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Jackie Bradley Jr. is trading his outfield glove for a microphone.

The longtime center fielder, known more for robbing home runs than hitting them, will join ESPN’s college baseball coverage as an analyst, the network announced Thursday. His first assignment will be calling the May 9 SEC matchup between Tennessee and Vanderbilt on the SEC Network, alongside Tom Hart and Kyle Peterson.

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Bradley’s playing career came to a quiet end last year. After a stint with the Kansas City Royals in 2023, and the independent Long Island Ducks, he signed on for a late-season run with the Mets' Triple-A affiliate in July 2024.

It was a winding final chapter to a career that began with promise in Boston and ended with 1,182 major league games, one All-Star selection, a Gold Glove, and a World Series title.

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Bradley's peak came in 2018, when he earned ALCS MVP honors en route to Boston’s championship. Offensively, Bradley finished with a .225 batting average and a .684 OPS— numbers that rarely told the full story of his value on the field.

A product of the University of South Carolina, where he won back-to-back national titles (2010 and 2011), Bradley returns now to the college game. He’ll work the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama, in May and contribute to ESPN’s coverage through the College World Series.

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"I'm honored to join ESPN and can't wait to get started covering the game that I love," Bradley said in a statement released by ESPN. "College baseball has grown a ton since I was at South Carolina, and I hope I can contribute to the sport's continued growth and popularity through our coverage of the student-athletes who give it their all."

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