Coast's baseball youth can learn a lot from Bobby Bradley

Bobby Bradley hasn't even "made it big" yet and he's already giving back to the community.

The former Harrison Central slugger, who has been tearing up the minor leagues since being drafted in the third round of the 2014 draft by the Cleveland Indians, is hosting a free hitting clinic Saturday for local kids 8-14.

The camp's registration filled up in less than a day, which was a pleasant surprise as he's hoping to make it a yearly event.

"It's good to help the kids coming up and see how everybody plays around town. I want to pay it forward and help the younger players," Bradley said. "I want them to be able to stick to their dreams and never give up on them just because something seems impossible."

HCHS coach Pat Olmi said it's no surprise Bradley is already helping kids where he grew up.

"Bobby is a good guy and he loves the game of baseball," Olmi said. "That's what it's all about. No matter how far you go you have to remember where you came from."

Baseball players from South Mississippi can learn quite a bit from Bradley, especially at the plate as it's been hard not to notice his prodigious power.

Heck, Olmi had a strong hunch Bradley could make a career out of baseball the first time he saw the young slugger swing a bat way back in seventh grade.

"He always had that natural left-handed swing," Olmi said. "You know how folks talk about having 'it,' well, he has 'it.'"

Bradley, 19, enters this season ranked as the fourth-best first baseman and 93rd overall prospect by MLB Pipeline.

"Bradley has all the ingredients needed to be an impact hitter, with plus bat speed, huge power and feel for using the entire field at a young age," MLB Pipeline reports, noting he will have to cut down on his Midwest League-leading 148 strikeouts as he progresses through the minors.

After bring drafted out of HCHS in 2014, it seemed like there was virtually no adjustment period for Bradley; all he did was win the Arizona League's triple crown by hitting .361 with eight homers and 50 RBIs in just 39 games.

His encore performance last season was just as impressive. At Low-A Lake County, Bradley hit 27 home runs with 92 RBIs despite missing 20 games with an oblique injury. He earned a late-season promotion to High-A and is expected to open 2016 with Lynchburg of the Carolina League.

Fielding

Although Bradley is known for his ability to launch baseballs into orbit, he said he's actually focusing on his defense at first base when he reports for camp March 1 in Goodyear, Ariz.

"It's a lot harder than people think it is. You're just expected to make all of the tough plays," Bradley said. "I'm just getting used to the position still because there's a lot of footwork around the bag.

"I want to be a better all-around player rather than just one-sided."

Patrick Ochs, a sports reporter for the Sun Herald, can be reached at pochs@sunherald.com or followed on Twitter at PatrickOchs.

This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 7:52 PM with the headline "Coast's baseball youth can learn a lot from Bobby Bradley ."