Can Bradfield be Orioles’ Opening Day centerfielder? | MAILBAG

Question: Is there any chance Enrique Bradfield Jr. performs so well in spring training that he wins the centerfield starting job? From: Bill Connor

Answer: Bill, there’s not any chance the Orioles will start the season with Bradfield in center field.

Bradfield played only 15 games at Triple-A last year and hit .179, and because of two hamstring injuries, he played only 76 games in the minor leagues. The Orioles sent him to the Arizona Fall League to get some more at-bats, and he hit only .221, but he walked 13 times in 20 games for a .341 on-base percentage.

If Bradfield has a successful few months at Norfolk and hits Triple-A pitching, I can see him getting called up later in the season as Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers were in 2025.

He’ll get a long look in spring training but won’t be starting the season with the Orioles.

Question: I haven’t heard much talk about pitcher, catcher and batter being able to challenge strike/ball calls. I have the thought that if the players are too quick to tap the helmet in the heat of the moment and lose the challenges early, the effect may be hampered. Will the challenge rule be the same as safe/out calls, etc. that can be challenged?

Do you have any thoughts on the subject? Will the umpires be more careful about calling balls and strikes than in the past? From: Beth Rowell, Sparta, North Carolina

Answer: Beth, I answered another question about the ABS recently, so I think fans are certainly interested in it.

Each team gets two challenges and they retain challenges if the umpire’s call is overturned. For replay challenges, teams get only one challenge.

Players will be coached on when to employ their challenges. That will be worked on in spring training.

I think the ABS system is a good one. I saw it used last year during several Orioles spring training games, and thought it worked efficiently. I don’t think it will have an effect on how umpires call games. I don’t think umpires are any more tentative because of replay on safe or out calls, and I don’t think they’ll change the way they call balls and strikes, either.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.