More power to Bradley

Sox need his HRs, leadership

FORT MYERS — Having arrived in spring training following a career year, Jackie Bradley Jr. thinks he’s capable of even more.

After spinning his wheels and shuttling back and forth between the minors and the majors during the first three years of his career, Bradley busted out with 26 homers in 2016 as he became an All-Star for the first time.

“Definitely knew I was capable of hitting 20,” he said yesterday from JetBlue Park. “I wouldn’t call it a surprise because I really worked really hard and even harder this year.

“I’m not saying I’m going to hit 26 homers again, but I’m saying that I’m more physically put together than I was last year. I would like to see what this year is going to hold for me.”

Bradley was among the early arrivals to camp, taking batting practice and letting his arm loose more than a week before the first official full squad workout next Friday.

If he’s any more prepared than he was last year, when he began a 29-game hitting streak just three weeks into the regular season, Bradley’s 2017 could delight.

“It was definitely a good stretch,” he said of his streak. “I seem to have a knack for getting one good stretch a year. I would love to continue that trend with also a little more consistency as well. That would really, really be nice.

“For things to happen for 29 straight games, you have to have a lot of things fall your way. But I can honestly say that I don’t really think I got many cheap shots out of those 29 games. I hit a lot of balls hard. I think I hit eight home runs during that stretch. It was just a time where I was putting the barrel on the ball and that’s what it all boils down to.”

Without David Ortiz, who hit 38 home runs a year ago, the Red Sox offense could have considerably less power. Hanley Ramirez hit 30 homers for just the second time in his career and Bradley hit 26 one year after hitting just 10, leaving some doubt as to how potent the 2017 offense will be.

For the Sox to again thrive on the long ball, Bradley’s power will be needed.

“I like to consider myself a person who puts the ball in play hard,” he said. “Whether that’s in the air or the ground, down the line, I just want to make consistent, solid, hard contact and it will kind of go where it wants to go. I wish I could control it. Obviously everybody would love to put it over the fence and then nobody would have to worry about catching it.”

One of Bradley’s most underrated accomplishments in 2016: He was able to reduce his strikeout rate for the fourth consecutive year, from 29 percent his rookie year in 2013 all the way down to 22.5 percent one year ago, an ironic trend considering he believes he was more aggressive at the plate in 2016.

But he still has work to do. Of the 65 players to hit at least 25 homers, Bradley had the 24th highest strikeout rate, between the Diamondbacks’ Yasmany Tomas and the Cubs’ Kris Bryant.

“Hopefully it was a building season,” he said. “It was a learning season. I got to play my first full season so I had some good things and I had some things I need to work on. I realize that and I’m able to learn from my mistakes and continue to get better.”

“I’ll be able to shorten up my swing and try to make consistent contact whether it’s just making adjustments in the batter’s box, it’s something I’m going to work on.”

With Andrew Benintendi, 22, expected to start in left field and Mookie Betts, 24, in right, Bradley, who turns 27 in April, considers himself the old man of the ultra-athletic trio. Benintendi didn’t arrive until August, but the Sox outfield still ranked second in the majors in defensive runs saved.

“I’m old now, compared to them,” said Bradley, who became a father for the first time last season. “It’s exciting being able to play with them. Definitely very, very good ballplayers. They are smart ballplayers and they’re like sponges. They want to learn, they want to get better just like I do and I think when you have guys who are going in the same direction, it makes things a lot easier.”