JJ Bleday

JJ Bleday Bio

Jeffrey Joseph Bleday (born November 10, 1997) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins and Oakland Athletics. The Miami Marlins selected Bleday with the fourth overall pick of the 2019 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2022 with the Marlins and was traded to the Athletics before the 2023 season.

Early Life and Background

Jeffrey Joseph Bleday was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania. He attended Titusville Area High School for his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to A. Crawford Mosley High School in Lynn Haven, Florida, for his junior and senior years. During his junior year, Bleday demonstrated his talent by batting .373 and pitching to a 4–1 record with a 2.43 earned run average. After his senior year, he was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 39th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. However, he opted to attend Vanderbilt University to play college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores. At Vanderbilt, Bleday had a notable freshman season in 2017, appearing in 51 games and hitting .256 with two home runs and 22 runs batted in. He also played for the Newport Gulls in the New England Collegiate Baseball League that summer, where he batted .232 with two home runs over 69 at-bats. In 2018, he faced challenges with an oblique injury but still managed to bat .368 with four home runs and 15 RBIs in 39 games. Following this season, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he was named a league all-star and the top professional prospect after hitting .311 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 36 games for the Orleans Firebirds. Bleday’s junior year in 2019 was particularly impressive, as he was named the Southeastern Conference Baseball Player of the Year, finishing the season with a slash line of .347/.465/.701, 27 home runs, and 72 RBIs, helping Vanderbilt win the 2019 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.

Path to Baseball

Bleday was regarded as one of the top prospects for the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. He was selected by the Miami Marlins with the fourth overall pick and signed for $6.7 million. He made his professional debut on July 20, 2019, with the High-A Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League, where he played the entire season. Over 38 games, he slashed .257/.311/.379 with three home runs and 19 RBIs. Unfortunately, Bleday did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos of the Double-A South, where he played 110 games and slashed .212/.323/.373 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs. He walked 64 times during the season, which was second in the league. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League for the Mesa Solar Sox, where he was named to the Fall Stars Game and earned the game’s MVP honors. Bleday ended the AFL with a .316/.435/.600 slash line over 25 games and was named the league’s Hitter of the Year alongside Juan Yepez.

JJ Bleday Career

Early Career (2019–2021)

Bleday made his major league debut on July 23, 2022, when the Marlins selected his contract and promoted him to the major leagues. He made his debut as a pinch-hitter that night at PNC Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates, drawing a walk in his only plate appearance. The following night, he recorded his first major league hit with an infield single off of Mitch Keller. On July 27, Bleday hit his first career home run, a solo shot off of Cincinnati Reds starter Luis Castillo. He played in 65 games for Miami in 2022, hitting .167/.277/.309 with five home runs and 16 RBIs.

Breakthrough (2023–2025)

On February 11, 2023, Bleday was traded to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for A. J. Puk. He was optioned to the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators to begin the 2023 season but was promoted to the major leagues on May 3. Unfortunately, on August 15, he was placed on the injured list due to an ACL sprain. In 82 games in 2023, Bleday hit .195/.310/.355 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs. In 2024, he became the Athletics’ everyday center fielder, appearing in 159 games and hitting .243/.324/.437 with 20 home runs and 60 RBIs while leading the league in putouts in center field. In 2025, Bleday started the season as the Athletics’ center fielder for the second consecutive year. On June 30, 2025, he was optioned to the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators but was recalled to the major leagues on August 2. In total, he made 98 appearances for the team, batting .212/.294/.404 with 14 home runs and 39 RBIs. Bleday was designated for assignment by the Athletics on November 18, 2025, and was non-tendered on November 21, becoming a free agent.