Archie Newell Bradley (born August 10, 1992) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Angels, and Miami Marlins between 2015 and 2023.
Raised in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Bradley played baseball and football at Muskogee High School and Broken Arrow Senior High School, winning a state championship with Broken Arrow in 2011. That year, the Diamondbacks selected him seventh overall in the 2011 MLB draft, and he spent the next three years in Arizona's farm system. Originally a starting pitcher, Bradley moved to the Diamondbacks' bullpen in 2017, which helped his success as a power pitcher.
After serving as the Diamondbacks' setup man and ultimately their closer, Bradley was traded to the Reds in 2020. He was released into free agency at the end of the season and spent the next three years with the Phillies, Angels, and Marlins. An elbow fracture derailed Bradley's time with the Angels, and he attributed the injury to his poor performance in Miami the following year.
Bradley was born on August 10, 1992, in Muskogee, Oklahoma. One of five children born to Charles and Pam Bradley, he began playing baseball at the age of four, and started playing gridiron football in elementary school. He was a hyperactive child, and his mother, the local school principal, would place him in classes with teachers that she believed could handle his excess energy.
After spending two years at Muskogee High School, Bradley transferred to Broken Arrow Senior High School for his junior and senior year. In his senior season, Bradley had a 12–1 win–loss record, an earned run average (ERA) of 0.29, a strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9) ratio of 17.29, and 137 strikeouts. He also led Broken Arrow in home runs, and had a .395 batting average. Bradley helped lead Broken Arrow to a 36–1 record in 2011, and struck out 14 batters in Broken Arrow's 4–0 shutout state championship victory over Owasso High School. At the end of the year, Bradley was named The Oklahoman's All-State Player of the Year. Along with baseball, Bradley excelled in football, participating in the 2010 Elite 11 quarterback competition. At this competition, Bradley was voted "Most Likely to be a Pro Athlete" by CFB counselors.
Draft and minor leagues (2011–2014)
The Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB) selected Bradley seventh overall in the 2011 MLB draft. His friend and Owasso pitching rival Dylan Bundy was selected by the Baltimore Orioles fourth overall, making 2011 the first year that two Oklahoma high school students were drafted in the first round since 1973. At the time, Bradley had already committed to play baseball and football at the University of Oklahoma, and waited until the August 16 deadline to officially sign a $5 million, five-year contract with the Diamondbacks. Bradley spent the remainder of the 2011 season with the Missoula PaddleHeads of the Pioneer League, at that time the Rookie Advanced minor-league affiliate of the Diamondbacks. He appeared in two games for Missoula, including one start, and pitched four strikeouts against seven batters. Additionally, he pitched "about 15 innings" in the Arizona Instructional League.
Bradley started the 2012 season with the Single–A South Bend Silver Hawks, taking the loss in his professional debut on April 6 after giving up one run in five innings of work to the Bowling Green Hot Rods. His first win came on April 12, giving up one run in six innings of a 3–1 victory over the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Bradley spent the entire season at South Bend, accumulating a 12–6 record and a 3.84 ERA in 27 starts and 136 innings of work. His 152-season strikeouts were second in the Midwest League, but he led the league in walks with 82.
Starting 2013 with the High–A Visalia Rawhide, Bradley was named the California League Player of the Week for the week ending April 14, after striking out nine in 5+2⁄3 shutout innings against the San Jose Giants. He was promoted to the Double-A Mobile BayBears on May 1, after only five starts with Visalia, and took the win the following day in a 3–1 victory over the Huntsville Stars. Bradley pitched in all six innings of the game, which ended early due to inclement weather. He was named the Southern League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending August 4 after pitching the first nine-inning complete game of his career in a 5–1 rout of the Jackson Generals. The following week, he pitched the final inning in a combined no-hitter against Huntsville. Between Visalia and Mobile, Bradley finished the 2013 season with a 14–5 record, a 1.84 ERA, and 162 strikeouts in 152 innings.
After attending spring training with the Diamondbacks, Bradley was assigned to the Triple-A Reno Aces at the beginning of the 2014 season. His agent pushed for Bradley to be called up to the majors, arguing that Bradley was only being kept in the minor leagues to allow the Diamondbacks to retain his original contract for a longer period of time. Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers said that promoting Bradley would put unnecessary pressure on the pitcher, as the team had the worst ERA in MLB, and Towers told Fox Sports that, "I know how it would be perceived if he came up: 'Archie is going to save us.'" Bradley missed nearly two months of the 2014 season after sustaining an elbow injury in late April. He began making rehab assignments at the end of June, with a 75-pitch limit. In only 18 season appearances and 83 innings, Bradley posted a 3–7 record, a 4.45 ERA, and 75 strikeouts in 2014.
Arizona Diamondbacks (2015–2020)
After Trevor Cahill was traded to the Atlanta Braves, Diamondbacks chief baseball officer Tony La Russa announced that Bradley would be in the team's 2015 starting rotation. On April 5, 2015, Bradley had his contract selected to the major league roster. He made his MLB debut on April 11, 2015, allowing only one hit in the Diamondbacks' 6–0 shutout of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He outpitched Clayton Kershaw, becoming only the fourth rookie starter since 2003 to win against a reigning Cy Young Award winner in his major league debut. On April 28, Bradley suffered a sinus fracture when he was hit in the face by a line drive off the bat of Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos González, and he was placed on the 15-day disabled list the next day. Bradley struggled in his return to the mound, allowing four runs in less than three innings in his first start after the injury. He was placed on the disabled list again on June 4 with tendinitis in his shoulder, and began rehab assignments in mid-August. Bradley pitched 35+2⁄3 innings in eight games for the Diamondbacks in 2015, and posted a 2–3 record with a 5.80 ERA.
Amidst heavy competition for the fifth spot in the starting rotation, Bradley began the 2016 season in Reno. After recording a 1.99 ERA and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings there, he was called back up on May 29 to replace an injured Shelby Miller, and set a career-high with nine strikeouts in 7+1⁄3 innings in a 6–3 win against the San Diego Padres. His performance that season was inconsistent, posting a 5.02 ERA and retaining the high walk rate that troubled him the previous season. His largest issues were in finding a usable third pitch to round out his fastball and curveball, and a high batting average against left-handed hitters. In 26 starts for Arizona that season, Bradley posted an 8–9 record, with 143 strikeouts but 79 earned runs allowed.
In 2017, the Diamondbacks had an unusually strong starting rotation, including Zack Greinke, Patrick Corbin, and Robbie Ray, and, rather than sending Bradley back down to the minor leagues, the team moved him to the bullpen. In his first appearance in his new role, Bradley relieved Randall Delgado in the fifth inning of a game against the San Francisco Giants, striking out seven batters in 3+1⁄3 shutout innings. He chose to remain in the bullpen even after Shelby Miller was optioned to the minor leagues, and began serving as the Diamondbacks' setup man. In the 2017 National League Wild Card Game, Bradley hit a two-RBI triple against Pat Neshek of the Colorado Rockies, helping Arizona advance to the 2017 National League Division Series. It was Bradley's first extra-base hit in his major league career and the first postseason triple by a reliever in MLB history. In his first season as a reliever, Bradley posted a 3–3 record and a 1.73 ERA in 73 innings.