Taj Bradley stepped onto the Yankee Stadium mound for the first time and noticed his mother, Ana Mosley, sitting behind home plate among the 43,173 fans.
“She’s loud,” he said, smiling. “I’ve been hearing her for 23 years. That’s a voice I always pick out, even when I’m not paying attention.”
Bradley gave his mother plenty to cheer about. The 23-year-old right-hander threw seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit in the Tampa Bay Rays’ 9-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday.
His 0.92 ERA over eight starts since June 8 is the best in the majors during that period, even lower than the impressive 1.14 ERA of Pittsburgh Pirates standout Paul Skenes. “That’s pretty cool,” Bradley commented.
Six years ago, Bradley played outfield for Redan High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia. It was his coach, Alexander Wyche, who decided to put him on the pitcher’s mound during a game against Westlake. Bradley recalled the position change was something he was pushed into.
Scouts were initially there to watch Lawrence Butler of Westlake, who eventually got drafted by Oakland in the sixth round and made his MLB debut last August. Bradley started catching the attention of scouts as well.
Looking back, Bradley can joke about what might have been if he hadn’t been noticed that day. “I’d probably be working at Walmart or something,” he quipped.
After committing to South Carolina, switching from his original choice of Hillsborough Community College in Florida, Bradley was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth round of the 2018 amateur draft, selected 150th overall. He signed for $747,500, which was more than double the slot value of $343,600.
He progressed through the minor leagues, making stops in Princeton, West Virginia; Bowling Green, Kentucky; Charleston, South Carolina; Montgomery, Alabama; and Durham, North Carolina.
Bradley debuted in the major leagues on April 12 last year but was sent back down and recalled three more times.
In 2024, his season was delayed due to a strained right pectoral muscle during warm-ups for his second spring training start on March 12. He didn’t make his first big league appearance until May 10.
Initially struggling with a 1-4 record and a 5.81 ERA, Bradley faced a tough outing against Baltimore on June 1, giving up nine runs, nine hits, and three walks in 3 1/3 innings.
He worked with pitching coach Kyle Snyder and Rays major league pitching strategist Bobby Kinne to adjust his mechanics. “Didn’t dwell too much on that day,” Bradley remembered. “They said, ‘Your stuff was good. They just hit some good pitches.’”
Pitching in the Bronx, Bradley anticipated a different atmosphere. “Even in the bullpen, you’re getting heckled,” he said.
Bradley (5-4) allowed his only hit against the Yankees when Ben Rice doubled leading off the first. He then retired Juan Soto on a groundout and struck out Aaron Judge and Austin Wells.
“He found his rhythm, and we played into his strategy,” Rice said. “We swung at some close pitches.” Bradley has won his last four starts.
“Taj would say he’s not there yet, but you can’t argue with the results he’s been getting,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Every challenge thrown at him, he’s handling really well.”
When facing challenges, whether in the first inning or later in the game with a higher pitch count, he seems to come through with a crucial pitch, much like the top-tier pitchers do.”
Bradley has recorded 90 strikeouts and issued 26 walks. In his recent outing against the Yankees, he hit 100.1 mph on the radar gun, averaging 97.1 mph with 46 four-seam fastballs. He also mixed in 25 splitters, 20 cutters, and eight curveballs.
“The cutter had different movement throughout the day,” remarked Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “He varied speeds and had a good split-finger fastball working for him. He gave us different looks all day, kept us off balance, and kept us from hitting the ball solidly.”
After the game, Bradley remained excited about pitching at Yankee Stadium for the first time.
His main blunder came after the top of the seventh inning when he ran out to the mound, unaware that “God Bless America” is played during the seventh-inning stretch of every Yankees home game.
“Nobody joined me out there,” he chuckled. “I was wondering what was going on.”
