FORT MYERS, Fla. — Blink and you may miss it.

That’s how suddenly Enrique Bradfield Jr. can alter the course of a baseball game. When Buck Britton lent Bradfield a hand at third base, picking the Orioles outfield prospect off the ground, Bradfield could only smile — there surely wasn’t much air left in his lungs for words after he sailed around the bases.

Bradfield won’t light up a box score with extra-base hits. But he makes up for that with his glove and speed, and he flashed both in Sunday’s game against the Boston Red Sox. Bradfield reached base twice on balls that didn’t leave the infield, and he robbed what right-hander Chris Bassitt thought was a no-doubt double in the right-center field gap.

It was the sort of performance that embodies what Bradfield does best, and it was perhaps a preview of what he could bring to Baltimore.

“Stuff like that helps the team win, and if I can keep doing that, I’ll be in a good spot,” Bradfield said. “That’s the type of player I’m going to be. Those’re the types of things I can do. I can affect the game.”

This was Bradfield’s last game of the spring before he leaves Sunday night to join Team Panama ahead of the World Baseball Classic. The Vanderbilt product said he’s looking forward to the environment of the tournament, because he cherished the big matchups of the Southeastern Conference in college.

“I’m excited to see what the WBC can bring out of me,” Bradfield said. “I’m a competitor.”

The question about Bradfield has long been whether he could hit at a high enough level to warrant a place in the lineup. But the pressure he puts on defenses with his speed is undeniable. The 24-year-old reached base the first time when third baseman Marcelo Mayer threw the ball away as he rushed to make a play.

In Bradfield’s second plate appearance, he rounded to bunt and laid the ball down to the left of the pitcher’s mound. Again, right-hander Justin Slaten hurried his throw and the ball sailed down the first base line.

Bradfield was off and running. He rounded second and slid safely into third base, and he scored on Colton Cowser’s grounder to the right side.

Earlier, Bradfield stole extra bases from Kristian Campbell by racing back and completing a tumbling grab in the gap.

Bradfield can change a game with his outfield defense. (Ulysses Muñoz/The Banner)

“It’s pretty funny,” Bradfield said. “Cowser [in center] moved me in right before that pitch. So he looked over, he was like, ‘Oh, that’s my bad.’ I’m like, ‘What, are you trying to sabotage me over here?’”

Or perhaps Cowser was attempting to set up the web gem.

“He set me up for a good one,” Bradfield said.

There aren’t many in the majors who can do what Bradfield can, even if he won’t make his mark as a power hitter. Bradfield reached 30.5 mph on his scamper to third base Sunday, according to Statcast. Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, by comparison, averaged the highest sprint speed of any player in 2025: 30.3 mph.

That means Bradfield would be in the conversation for the fastest player in the majors, alongside burners such as Turner, Byron Buxton and Bobby Witt Jr.

The pertinent question may be how well Bradfield must hit to reach (and keep) a spot in the majors. In 15 games last year with Triple-A Norfolk, he hit .179 with a .512 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. He produced better at Double-A Chesapeake in 50 games by posting a .269 average and .779 OPS.

The limited playing time was a side effect of two hamstring strains, one in each leg. Bradfield said that made it a “weird year,” considering he has scarcely otherwise been injured in his career.

But he’s healthy now and he’s showing the athleticism that can change a game.

Bradfield could be a glove-first center fielder in the future. Cowser is the primary center fielder this year, but he may project long term as a corner outfielder when he gets older (he played a strong left field in 2024 and 2025).

In the more immediate future, Bradfield could be in the conversation to become a late-season call-up, even if that’s mostly as a defensive replacement. But that’s all ahead of him, and while his speed may get him there in a hurry, he’s not worrying about it.

“I’m right where my feet are every day,” Bradfield said. “I show up ready to work, good attitude, good energy, and I’m just trying to get better.”

Chris Bassitt’s first spring startChris Bassitt throws a bullpen session last month. (Paul Mancano/The Banner)

At this stage of Bassitt’s career, he’s attuned to what it will take to be ready for opening day. And on Sunday it was all about “remind[ing] my arm that we’re going.”

Bassitt threw two innings, plus one batter in the third, and focused on using his sinker, four-seam and cutter. Twenty-three of his 40 pitches were sinkers. Although his velocity was a bit lower than last year, that’s not a concern at this early stage. He allowed two runs on two hits and two walks.

“It’s just building pitch count right now,” Bassitt said. “Facing an inner-division team, you’re not going to game plan for them and throw a specific way, so to speak. So today was all about throwing a bunch of heaters, different types of heaters, and just building arm strength.”