Brandon Lockridge attended Pensacola Catholic High School in his hometown. The shortstop was considered one of the best players on his team and dominated all four years. He then decided to attend Troy University to play for the Trojans. Lockridge then changed positions and moved to second base for the next two seasons. In his first season as a Trojan in 2016, Lockridge had a bit of a rough time. He batted .265 with two home runs. With the help of his fellow Trojan teammates, Lockridge was able to come back the next season and dominate.
“My teammates from college who pushed me in the weight room and on the field were Drew Frederic, Joey Denison, Brody Binder, and Matt Sanders,” said Lockridge.
The stud came back as a new player in his sophomore year, smacking 83 hits, six home runs, and a batting average of .344. Lockridge continued his dominance into his junior year, in which he batted .307 with 25 steals. Lockridge changed positions for a second time in his junior year. This time, he switched to center field which remains his current position.
You can catch all of PTST’s MLB content here.
The Draft
As Lockridge gets together with family and friends on draft day, the youngster nervously awaits the call. On Day 2 of the 2018 MLB Draft, Lockridge got that call from the New York Yankees. New York picked the center fielder in the fifth round (157th overall). Lockridge was happy to accept the Yankees’ offer, as his favorite player growing up was Hall of Famer Derek Jeter.
In 2018, Lockridge started his minor-league career with the Yankees-West team in the Gulf Coast League. He only played 10 games until he was promoted to the Class-A (short season) Staten Island Yankees. There, he attended 16 games and held a .216 average with one home run. In the 2019 season, Lockridge was called up to the Class-A (full season) in which he performed well with a .251 average, 22 stolen bases, and 125 hits.
2020 Canceled Season
When the 2020 MiLB season was canceled, Lockridge got busy. The Florida native went to work in a training camp with many coaches and players to improve his game. It was a great way for Lockridge to improve his game as many other professional players would train there. He improved his bat (and his arm strength), to boost him for the upcoming season.
Lockridge played his best yet in 2021. He began the season with the Class-A (Advanced) Hudson Valley Renegades. There, he batted .256 with five stolen bases. Then, the outfielder was promoted to the Double-A Somerset Patriots. He broke out with a .328 batting average. Lockridge claims that all the training, drills, and effort that he put in helped him achieve his goals in 2021.
Inside Scoop
Lockridge enjoys every part of the game, especially at the plate. He loves picking apart his opposing pitcher and working constantly to become a better hitter. Although he enjoys his job at the dish, he shines the most in the outfield. He hopes to make the MLB one day, but knows that he needs to grind constantly to get there. Hopefully, we will see the 24-year-old in the league sooner than later.
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @primetimesportstalk
Follow Rephael Negnewitzky on Twitter @RephaelN613
Main Image Credit: via Newsday.com
