SARASOTA, Fla. — When the Orioles envision the best version of their offense through the rest of the decade, one of the most exciting aspects is what former top pick Enrique Bradfield Jr. will add with his speed. In his first major league camp, Bradfield demonstrated a newfound dedication to a skill that will help him better utilize it: bunting.

Bradfield carved out time for extra bunting work beyond his typical hitting every day, and he plans to continue as the season progresses too. And, before he was sent to minor league camp Sunday, he took advantage of some of the experience around him in a unique way.

Before Grapefruit League games started last month, Bradfield spent time with Jordan Westburg and Terrin Vavra soaking in what was essentially an infielder’s cheat sheet on the best and worst places hitters can bunt, depending on their positioning.

“He’s got something that really nobody else in baseball has — elite speed,” Vavra said. “His top-end speed is unmatched. The game is a little different for him, and me and Westy were just kind of talking about how difficult it is to field a bunt, but also what we’re looking for when it comes to guys that we know are bunt threats, especially when we’re playing third base.

“Where are the toughest ones to execute a play on defense? And, with that, the easier ones. So we were just kind of walking through. Obviously, it’s a huge part of Enrique’s game and he should embrace that and run with it.”

The Orioles largely felt the same when they took Bradfield, now their No. 6 prospect according to Baseball America, in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft. He had a .729 OPS and 74 steals in 87 chances in his full-season debut last year, and as the season progressed, he said bunting grew in import.

He believes he “didn’t do a good enough job” at bunting throughout his time at High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Bowie, though he had plenty on his plate as part of the organization’s ongoing emphasis on him hitting line drives and keeping the ball off the ground.

Part of the newfound emphasis came through conversations with player development staff and members of the organization, who are trying to help Bradfield arrive in the majors as the most impactful player possible.

“I have a different tool set than a lot of the other guys in this clubhouse, and I feel like I can use that to my advantage,” Bradfield said. “When you look at a guy like [Cedric Mullins], look at a guy like [Jorge] Mateo, I fit in where they fit in. But I still think I can bring a little bit different skill set than they can, because they can leave the yard at any point and do damage that way. My damage is going to be hitting the gaps and hitting those singles, taking the walks, stealing those bases and allowing guys like Coby [Mayo] to be able to drive me in.”

“I have a different tool set than a lot of the other guys in this clubhouse, and I feel like I can use that to my advantage.”

Enrique Bradfield Jr.

Bradfield’s swing decisions are another incredibly advanced tool. He rarely swings and misses, and part of his success down the stretch in Bowie came as he further refined it and essentially swung only at pitches he’d be willing to end his at-bat on; such is his ability to make contact. But the bunting work is going to help him get on base even more.

Before games began, players all cycled through a bunting station with first base coach Anthony Sanders and minor league coaches Billy Facteau and Calvin Christiansen, among others. Their work featured a game that awarded points for different kinds of successful bunts — deadened in various zones in front of home plate, up the third base line, and pushed to the first baseman. Bradfield resolved to visit that station every day to feel out different skills and add different bunts to his arsenal.

“I might be experimenting some days, working on some things, or want to see how dead I can leave the ball in a certain area,” Bradfield said. “I just move around, work through sacs, base-hit bunts, different bunts pretty much every day. I don’t really have a scheme for it, I just kind of go out there and do it.

He admits to not taking “as much pride in it” before this year, “but it’s every day for me now,” he said. “I want to keep it that way, because that’s ultimately how you get better. You’ve just got to get in there and get the reps. If I can do that, I’ll be all right.”

The tips from Westburg and Vavra certainly won’t hurt. Vavra is the son of a baseball coach and thus has maybe more of an appreciation of the more granular skills the game demands.

“It’s kind of a breath of fresh air,” he said.

Vavra said infielders will often share hints on defending bunts, but he’d never given such in-depth advice to a hitter on bunting before — nor has he ever encountered a player who could use bunting as a weapon the way Bradfield may. Their ultimate advice to Bradfield was simple — the best bunt is the one closest to the third base line, given how far the defender has to throw and the extra time chasing the ball down allows a hitter to get to first.

“I’m trying to really understand what the pitcher, what the third baseman might be positioned [for] and what they might be thinking, so I can try to find ways to get around that and leave surprises for these guys,” Bradfield said.

Westburg and Vavra were surprised to hear that, given Bradfield’s speed, defenders line up in unconventional places — and Bradfield will counter by, for example, trying to push the ball past the third baseman to the shortstop. Bradfield believes the unique setups he’ll see from infielders also open holes for line drives to get through the infield, opening other aspects of his game.

“Ultimately, I’m fast, and if I can lay down a good bunt, I have a great chance of having a base hit,” Bradfield said. “That’s something that can help get an inning started, get a rally going. There’s a lot of great hitters in this clubhouse. They can leave the yard at any point. If I can find a way on, to get on base and create some havoc that way, I can open up the game for the rest of the guys.”