Minnesota Twins pitcher Tigi Bradley decided to switch things up before his game against the San Diego Padres on Saturday. For the first time, he took a deep dive into scouting reports.
In his five-inning outing, Bradley gave up just one run on one hit, but, surprisingly, he hit six batters. Unfortunately, the bullpen couldn’t hold onto the lead, and San Diego exploded for seven runs in the seventh inning, ultimately winning the game 12-3.
For Bradley, this was an improvement from his previous performance with the Twins. He had been acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays just before the trade deadline and had allowed seven runs in his last outing, which was quite a hit to his confidence. The noticeable change in his performance seemed to stem from his new research routine.
“I’ve never done that before,” Bradley mentioned in an interview. “I was pretty much going in blind. After that last game, I really felt it was time for a change.”
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli didn’t express much concern about Bradley’s approach. “Honestly, anything that boosts a player’s confidence is what I’m all for,” he said. “If he’s pitching like that, whatever he’s doing mentally is working.”
Bradley was chosen by the Rays in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft and made his debut in 2023, finishing that season with an ERA of 5.59 over 23 games.
This season, he’s recorded a 4.82 ERA across 23 games played with both the Twins and the Rays.
