University of Georgia graduate Tucker Bradley will continue his baseball career as a player in the Kansas City Royals organization.
A 6-0, 201-pound left-handed hitting outfielder from Chickamauga, Ga., Bradley signed with the Royals as a free agent Sunday. In his Bulldog career, Bradley appeared in 119 games with 115 starts in the outfield. Bradley posted a torrid start in 2020, batting .397 with six home runs, 23 RBI and eight stolen bases through the first 18 games of the season. Georgia was 14-4 and ranked as high as No. 2 nationally when the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. He was a career .316 hitter with 14 doubles, nine home runs and 62 RBI. He finished 27-for-33 in stolen bases. Bradley, a four-year member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, graduated last month with a degree in sport management.
Last week, Major League Baseball (MLB) held its annual draft, which was shortened this year to just five rounds (from 40) in part to the pandemic. Sunday marked the first day that players could sign as a free agent.
Bradley broke the news on his Twitter account, writing “I am so blessed and excited to announce that I will have the opportunity to continue my baseball career with the Kansas City Royals! This has been a dream of mine since I was a little boy and to be able to continue my journey is everything I could have ever asked for. I want to thank UGA, my previous coaches, my family, and most importantly, my Faith for allowing me to pursue my dream.”
With Bradley’s signing, Georgia now has a string of 48 straight seasons with at least one player signing a professional contract. During last week’s MLB Draft, Georgia junior All-America pitcher Emerson Hancock was selected in the first round, the sixth overall pick, by Seattle. Also, sophomore All-America pitcher Cole Wilcox was drafted in the third round, the 80th overall pick, by San Diego. With that, the Bulldogs have extended their streak to 43 consecutive years with a player being drafted.