J. J. Bleday

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J.J. Bleday
JJ Bleday.jpg
Bleday with Vanderbilt in 2019
Miami Marlins
Outfielder
Born: (1997-11-10) November 10, 1997 (age 24)
Danville, Pennsylvania
Bats: Left
Throws: Left

Jeffrey Joseph Bleday (born November 10, 1997) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Miami Marlins organization.

Amateur career[]

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 but still appeared in 39 games for the Commodores, batting .368 with four home runs and 15 RBIs.[6][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[]

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 and spent the whole season there.[17] 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.[19] For the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos of the Double-A South.[20] Over 110 games, he slashed .212/.323/.373 with 12 home runs, 54 RBIs, 22 doubles, and 101 strikeouts.[21][22] He walked 64 times during the season which was second in the league.[23] He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) for the Mesa Solar Sox after the season where he was named to the Fall Stars Game and was named the game's MVP.[24][25][26] Bleday ended the AFL with a .316/.435/.600 slash line over 25 games and was named the league's Hitter of the Year alongside Juan Yepez.[27]

References[]

  1. ^ "On Campus: Mercyhurst finishes 32nd in Learfield standings". goerie.com. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  2. ^ "Bleday prepping for big summer showcases". Panama City News Herald. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  3. ^ "Titusville native picked up in MLB draft". The Titusville Herald. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  4. ^ "2019 CBD TOP 100 COUNTDOWN: 25. J.J. BLEDAY (VANDERBILT)". College Baseball Daily. 25 January 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  5. ^ "Stars will align, but not just yet". newportri.com. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  6. ^ "Vanderbilt injured slugger J.J. Bleday could return vs. Auburn ace Friday". Tennessean. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  7. ^ "SEC baseball season preview: Who are the top pitchers and position players?". The Advocate. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  8. ^ "#41 JJ Bleday". pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  9. ^ "Bleday named Cape Cod League's top prospect". Nashville Post. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  10. ^ "Vanderbilt, J.J. Bleday dominate SEC baseball awards". Knox News. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  11. ^ "Vanderbilt's JJ Bleday selected as SEC player of the year". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  12. ^ Dusenbury, Wells. "Fresh off Vandy national title, first-round pick JJ Bleday can begin Marlins negotiations". sun-sentinel.com.
  13. ^ "MLB.com 2019 Prospect Watch". Major League Baseball.
  14. ^ "Vandy's Bleday standing out in MLB4 tourney". MLB.com. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  15. ^ https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article230943298.html[bare URL]
  16. ^ Sparks, Adam. "J.J. Bleday signs with Marlins for $6.7 million bonus; 12 Vanderbilt players turn pro". The Tennessean.
  17. ^ https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article232928132.html[bare URL]
  18. ^ Kent, Dustin. "Bleday tries to stay sharp, optimistic during hiatus". Panama City News Herald.
  19. ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season canceled". MLB.com.
  20. ^ https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article251068434.html[bare URL]
  21. ^ https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article254363738.html[bare URL]
  22. ^ "Bleday continues to rake in Arizona Fall League". MLB.com.
  23. ^ https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article255237626.html[bare URL]
  24. ^ "Here are the Arizona Fall League rosters". MLB.com.
  25. ^ "Check out the Fall Stars Game rosters". MLB.com.
  26. ^ https://www.mlb.com/news/jj-bleday-mvp-2021-fall-stars-game[bare URL]
  27. ^ https://www.mlb.com/news/arizona-fall-league-award-winners-2021[bare URL]

External links[]

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