Archie Bradley Promoted To Double-A Mobile

VISALIA - Archie Bradley came into this season as the #2 ranked prospect in the entire Diamondbacks system behind Rawhide alumnus Tyler Skaggs. Expectations could not have been higher and the hype could not have been bigger for the 20-year old power pitcher. Just five starts into his 2013 campaign, Bradley exceeded expectations and proved to everyone he was as good as advertised, as he earned a promotion to Double-A Mobile on Wednesday.

Each inning he pitched in Visalia was a blessing, and if you are a Rawhide fan who got to witness this young man perform, consider yourself lucky. He commanded the ballgame each time he toed the rubber. The Rawhide found themselves on the winning side of the scoreboard each of the five Bradley outings this season. In his five starts, Bradley posted an official 2-0 record and an impressive 1.26 ERA (4 ER/28.2 IP). He currently leads the California League with 43 strikeouts and never had fewer than eight strikeouts in a game. His 13.50 SO/9 IP ratio is also the best in the circuit.

He commanded the strikezone like a big leaguer would be expected to and his electric fastball was too much for hitters to handle at this level of play. He was poised when he got into jams and never seemed to be frazzled. Left-handed hitters especially had virtually no shot, batting just .157 (8-for-51) against him.

Perhaps his best outing of the season came on April 10th against Bakersfield when he tossed 6.0 shutout innings, allowing just three hits and no walks while striking out a season-high 10 Blaze batters. Those who witnessed that performance at Rawhide Ballpark knew they were seeing something special.

Many All-Stars and Hall of Famers have passed through Visalia, playing here at Recreation Ballpark somewhere along the journey of their phenomenal careers. Sometimes it's tough to tell who is a future All-Star, especially a Hall of Famer. But you can't help to think that Archie Bradley has a bright future in the big leagues. Be thankful while these great talents are here and get out to the ballpark to watch them perform in your own backyard while you can. It is always just a matter of time before they are gone.