By Michael Haag | Sports Editor
Being a rookie relief pitcher with the Texas Rangers in 2023, Cody Bradford just wanted what was best for the team.
Sure, Bradford said it would be cool to make a postseason roster and maybe see some innings on the mound — on the biggest stage in baseball. But that wasn’t on his mind, as he just wanted to play whatever role needed.
Before he knew it, the former Baylor Bear — from 2017-19 — not only made two of the Rangers’ postseason rosters but ultimately played a role in the team winning the 2023 World Series, just up the road from his former college town.
“Man, it was a dream come true and really just want to give all glory to God,” Bradford said in a Zoom interview with The Baylor Lariat.
It wasn’t that long ago when Bradford, who tallied a 1.17 ERA over 7.2 innings in five postseason outings, was rocking the green and gold at Baylor Ballpark (103 miles from Globe Life Field, the home of the Rangers). From being named 2018 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year in his sophomore year to only hurling 7.1 innings his junior year due to thoracic outlet syndrome, Bradford said his time as a Bear shaped the pitcher he’s become.
If anything, Bradford may have been a first-round draft pick had he not dealt with the junior-year injury. But the Aledo native fell to the sixth round — where the Rangers selected him — and he quickly moved through the system.
Bradford got called up to the Rangers and made his major league debut against the Atlanta Braves on May 15, 2023. He totaled 20 regular-season outings — including eight starts — and posted a 4-3 record with a 5.30 ERA, adding 51 strikeouts.
Not even four full years removed from his time in Waco, Bradford said it “felt like yesterday” thinking about Baylor Ballpark and his old teammates at that moment.
“I think it’s a testament to what Baylor can do as a jumping-off point for guys’ careers in baseball,” Bradford said.
The southpaw pitcher played for Steve Rodriguez, Baylor baseball’s head coach from 2016-22. Paired with another major leaguer in Shea Langeliers, as well as other standouts, the Bears won their first Big 12 Championship title in 2018. Bradford and Langeliers were named Co-MVP of the tournament, as Bradford tossed 7.2 scoreless innings and allowed four hits with a career-high 11 strikeouts in Baylor’s first-round win over Oklahoma.
Aside from the success on the diamond, Bradford said those three seasons at Baylor gave him lifelong relationships, including friends and his wife. Bradford met the formerly Madi O’Neal in the fall of 2017 when they were both freshmen, and they’ve been together since.
“Some of my groomsmen in my wedding were from the baseball team here, and some of the best friends I’ve made and still talk to on a weekly basis went to Baylor and were roommates or just phenomenal teammates,” Bradford said.
The days of Bradford and that squad are long gone, though, and the Bears are now led by head coach Mitch Thompson, who will enter his second year with the program in 2024. Thompson spent 18 years (1995-2012) as an assistant at Baylor before leading McLennan Community College to four NJCAA World Series appearances over the course of nine seasons there.
Thompson took over at the helm for Baylor in June 2022 and said it was awesome seeing Bradford win the World Series.
“It’s always been fun for me being the guy that helped recruit a bunch of those guys and to see them have success,” Thompson said. “To see Max Muncy win a World Series and Cody Bradford win a World Series, that’s about as awesome as it gets. And the fun thing with Cody was every time we went out to pitch this year, they’re talking it up about — Baylor, Baylor Baylor. That was really cool and I appreciate Cody for all that help.”
Assistant coach Zach Dillon said Bradford’s ability to contribute to a World Series championship “speaks volumes to the kind of place our current players are at.” Dillon added that this can instill confidence in the 2024 roster and beyond.
“You’re at a place where you can accomplish anything you want in our game,” Dillon said. “That’s powerful on the recruiting trail, it’s powerful for our current guys to understand that, ‘Hey, those that have come before you have found a lot of success in this game, and there’s nothing stopping you from doing that.’ I think it can be an extrinsic motivator quite honestly.”
Even Bradford himself said he never imagined his early career would’ve gone the way it has. He said that allows him to be a role model for the next generation of Bears who might not think they have a shot at the next level.
“I didn’t come into Baylor as the most talented guy, definitely didn’t throw the hardest, wasn’t the fastest, definitely not the strongest,” Bradford said. “But there’s a saying — that ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.’ And I think any guy coming through Baylor or coming up through high school or any kid that wants to work hard can put his mind to it. The sky’s the limit at that point — the World Series is the limit at that point.”
Bradford joins Max Muncy (Dodgers infielder), Daniel Castano (Marlins pitcher) and Langeliers (Athletics catcher) as the four Baylor Bears who have seen the majors within the last ten years. Davis Wendzel, another former Bear, was teammates with Bradford during his time in Triple-A.
If he’s not pitching or working out, Bradford said he loves to go hunting or fishing. He said one of the biggest things he misses about Waco is fishing with his teammates and friends. Bradford also mentioned how well he and his wife Madi are treated when they come back to town, saying, “There’s a really good energy in Waco.”
The 6-foot-4-inch pitcher added that he wished he had more time to come back during Baylor’s season to watch games. Thompson and Dillon welcome him back during the offseason so he can work out in the facilities, but Bradford is a little too busy in the MLB to come back once Spring Training rolls around.
But he said he has full confidence in the trajectory of the program under Thompson, saying, “If there’s one guy that wants to win for Baylor I know it’s Mitch Thompson.” And his best advice to the athletes in Waco is to fall in love with the grind.
“Everybody wants the results, everybody wants to get drafted to go to the next level, but you have to enjoy the process of getting there,” Bradford said. “You have to enjoy working hard, you have to enjoy getting in the weight room, you have to enjoy worrying about small mechanical things that are going to make you better.
“And one other thing is I would say [is] don’t let the time go by so quick in college that you’re always just looking toward the future. You want to live where your feet are and enjoy the moment and the relationships that I made at Baylor — not just my wife but some of my best friends are on my team and it’s those moments that I really miss and will never forget about.”
