Boston Red Sox right fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (19) rounds third base and scores a run against the Milwaukee Brewers on an RBI single hit by right fielder Jaylin Davis (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Fenway Park in Boston on July 31, 2022. Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Former Boston Red Sox Star, World Series Champ to Spend Opening Day at Team Affiliate

Originally posted on Minor League Baseball on SI
By Jami Leabow | Last updated Mar 25, 2025 6:03 PM ET

The Worcester Red Sox don’t need a bunch of gimmicks to draw fans to Polar Park, with the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston team of the same name finishing in the top 10 in minor league attendance in 2024.

Still, it’s nice to see their fandom rewarded with a visit from a favorite.

Jackie Bradley Jr., a member of Boston’s World Series-winning teams in 2013 and ’18, will be at Polar Park on Friday when the WooSox open their season Friday against the Syracuse Mets.

Bradley, a fan favorite with the Red Sox, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch in his first visit to Polar Park, where the WooSox open their fifth season after relocating from Pawtucket, R.I.

He’ll also be signing autographs and will take photos with fans.

JBJ on Opening Day You asked, Jackie Bradley Junior answered! YES, you can meet, take photos with, and receive autographs from the two-time World Series champ this Friday, March 28! pic.twitter.com/f5QAnJMfeL
— Worcester Red Sox (@WooSox) March 25, 2025

“Jackie Bradley, Jr. is among the nicest, kindest, classiest gentlemen I’ve had the pleasure of working with in my career,” said Dr. Charles A. Steinberg, president of the WooSox, in a team news release. “We are thrilled to show him our happy little ballpark, and we are even more thrilled to let him feel the appreciation of the Central Mass chapter of Red Sox Nation. He contributed mightily with his bat, glove, and heart to the happiness we have experienced going back a dozen years.”

Bradley was a rookie in 2013 when the Red Sox won the title. Five years later, when they defeated the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series on their way to another World Series, he was named Most Valuable Player after driving in nine runs.

JBJ, as he is known, played parts of four seasons with the Pawtucket Red Sox and parts of nine seasons with Boston but also had brief stints with the Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers.

Bradley, who turns 35 next month, isn’t officially retired from baseball and enjoyed the offseason at home in Florida with his wife, Erin, and their four young children. Here’s hoping they grow up to be Red Sox fans.

This article first appeared on Minor League Baseball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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