J. J. Bleday
| J.J. Bleday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Miami Marlins | |||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: November 10, 1997 Danville, Pennsylvania | |||
| |||
Jeffrey Joseph Bleday (born November 10, 1997) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Miami Marlins organization.
Amateur career[edit]
Bleday grew up in Titusville, Pennsylvania, and attended Titusville Area High School as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to A. Crawford Mosley High School in Lynn Haven, Florida for his junior and senior years.[1] As a junior, he batted .373 while pitching to a 4-1 record and 2.43 ERA.[2] After his senior year, Bleday was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 39th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.[3] However, he did not sign and instead chose to attend Vanderbilt University to play college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores.
In 2017, as a freshman at Vanderbilt, Bleday appeared in 51 games in which he hit .256 with two home runs and 22 RBIs.[4] That summer, he played for the Newport Gulls of the New England Collegiate Baseball League where he batted .232 with two home runs over 69 at-bats.[5] As a sophomore in 2018, Bleday missed 22 games due to an oblique injury[6] but still appeared in 39 games for the Commodores, batting .368 with four home runs and 15 RBIs.[7] Following the collegiate season, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star and the top professional prospect after hitting .311 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 36 games for the Orleans Firebirds.[8][9] In 2019, Bleday's junior year, he was named the Southeastern Conference Baseball Player of the Year.[10][11] He finished the season slashing .347/.465/.701 with 27 home runs and 72 RBIs in 71 games, helping Vanderbilt win the 2019 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.[12]
Professional career[edit]
Bleday was considered one of the top prospects for the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[13][14] He was selected by the Miami Marlins with the fourth overall pick and signed for $6.7 million.[15][16] He made his professional debut on July 20, 2019 with the Class A-Advanced Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League,[17] and spent the whole season there. Over 38 games, Bleday slashed .257/.311/.379 with three home runs and 19 RBIs.[18]
Bleday did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos of the Double-A South.[19]
References[edit]
- ^ "On Campus: Mercyhurst finishes 32nd in Learfield standings". goerie.com. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "Bleday prepping for big summer showcases". Panama City News Herald. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "Titusville native picked up in MLB draft". The Titusville Herald. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "2019 CBD TOP 100 COUNTDOWN: 25. J.J. BLEDAY (VANDERBILT)". College Baseball Daily. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "Stars will align, but not just yet". newportri.com. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "Vanderbilt injured slugger J.J. Bleday could return vs. Auburn ace Friday". Tennessean. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "SEC baseball season preview: Who are the top pitchers and position players?". The Advocate. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "#41 JJ Bleday". pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ "Bleday named Cape Cod League's top prospect". Nashville Post. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "Vanderbilt, J.J. Bleday dominate SEC baseball awards". Knox News. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "Vanderbilt's JJ Bleday selected as SEC player of the year". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ Dusenbury, Wells. "Fresh off Vandy national title, first-round pick JJ Bleday can begin Marlins negotiations". sun-sentinel.com.
- ^ "MLB.com 2019 Prospect Watch". Major League Baseball.
- ^ "Vandy's Bleday standing out in MLB4 tourney". MLB.com. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article230943298.html
- ^ Sparks, Adam. "J.J. Bleday signs with Marlins for $6.7 million bonus; 12 Vanderbilt players turn pro". The Tennessean.
- ^ https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article232928132.html
- ^ Kent, Dustin. "Bleday tries to stay sharp, optimistic during hiatus". Panama City News Herald.
- ^ https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article251068434.html
External links[edit]
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Vanderbilt Commodores bio