Congratulations are due to Jackie Bradley, Jr., whose 29-game hitting streak came to an end Thursday in Boston. It remains the longest Major League hitting streak so far this season.
Bradley’s streak ends with him tied for the fourth longest in the Red Sox’ long history after Dom DiMaggio (1949, 34 games), Nomar Garciaparra (1997, 30 games), Tris Speaker (1912, 30 games), and Johnny Damon (2005, 29 games).
During the hit streak, Bradley raised his batting average 128 points, from .222 to .350.
In a well written piece over on ESPN, Jerry Crasnick writes, that the one-time view of Bradley as strictly a defensive star is now out the window, noting that “with his performance in April and May, Bradley has laid the groundwork for something far more enduring.”
We’re only a quarter though the season, but would you have imagined a year ago that Bradley would own a 2.6 offensive WAR, the 6th best in baseball, for 2016?
Xander Bogaerts, himself with a 19-game hitting streak following a 1-for-4 performance Thursday, now owns the longest hit streak in baseball and the second longest this season.
The last major leaguer with a longer streak than Bradley’s was 33 games by Dan Uggla in 2011.