After breaking records in independent league, former South Carolina baseball star gets another MLB contract

South Carolina baseball legend Jackie Bradley, Jr. is back in Major League Baseball.

After spending the first half of the year playing with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League (and breaking an all-time franchise record less than a week ago), the former MLB All-Star has gotten his chance to go after his 10-year service milestone.

According to an announcement from the Long Island Ducks, Jackie Bradley, Jr. had his contract purchased on Tuesday by the New York Mets.

At the time of his signing with the Mets, Bradley, Jr. was in the middle of a hitting streak. His 28-game hot stretch was an all-time record for the Ducks (he broke the record on Friday with a hit in his 26th game in a row), and he was just three games shy of the all-time Atlantic League record of 31, shared by Jose Ruiz and Chris Ashby.

With the Mets, Bradley, Jr. is joining a team that is surging back into the playoff picture. After falling way behind this spring, the summer has been kind to the Metropolitans as they have pushed their record over the .500 mark and now are in sole possession of the third Wild Card spot in the National League and three games back of the top Wild Card spot owned by the rival Atlanta Braves.

The former Gamecock will report to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets where he will begin his audition for playing time with the Big League club. He always has been a defensive standout (he won a Gold Glove with the Boston Red Sox), and he was a dominant offensive player with the Long Island Ducks this year. If both of those translate for Bradley, Jr., he will find himself in the Show sooner rather than later.

Bradley, Jr. is not the only South Carolina baseball alum to sing with an NL East squad this week as former College World Series champion teammate Whit Merrifield earned a contract from the Atlanta Braves earlier this week after being released from the 1st-place Philadelphia Phillies.