Bradley Richard Hand (born March 20, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Colorado Rockies.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Hand's family settled in Chaska before he entered high school. He was a three-sport athlete at Chaska High School, and after his senior year in 2008, the Florida Marlins selected him in the second round of the 2008 MLB Draft. Hand chose to forego a college baseball commitment to Arizona State in favor of turning professional. He made his MLB debut in 2011 when Marlins starting pitcher Josh Johnson was injured, but inconsistent pitch command prevented Hand from becoming a fixture in the Marlins' major league roster until 2014, when he was assigned to the bullpen. Hand spent the next two seasons alternating between starting and relief roles for Miami before he was claimed on waivers by the Padres shortly before the 2016 season.
Hand had a breakout role in San Diego, attributed in part to his slider. He was named to three consecutive All-Star Games beginning in 2017, the same year that he became a closer. The Padres traded Hand to the Indians midway through the 2018 season, and he made his first postseason appearance in the 2018 American League Division Series. After struggling with arm fatigue and pitch delivery issues in 2019, Hand was perfect in 16 save opportunities for Cleveland in 2020, but he was designated for assignment at the end of the year. Hand found varying levels of success in 2021 with Washington, Toronto, and New York before signing with Philadelphia in 2022.
Early life
Bradley Richard Hand was born on March 20, 1990, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Lon and Barb Hand of Hampton, Iowa. Hand's family moved around Minnesota during his childhood, with stops in West St. Paul and Eagan before settling in Chaska just before Hand entered high school. He was a three-sport varsity athlete at Chaska High School, receiving honors in American football, ice hockey, and baseball. Hand finished his senior baseball season with an 8–2 win–loss record, two saves, and a 0.61 earned run average (ERA), allowing only six earned runs in 68 innings pitched. This included a complete game, three-hit shutout against Eden Prairie High School, a 3–0 victory in which Hand struck out 14 batters. At the plate, Hand batted .352 with eight home runs and 24 runs batted in (RBI).
Professional career
Draft and minor leagues (2008–2010)
The Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB) selected Hand out of high school in the second round, 52nd overall, of the 2008 MLB Draft. At the time, he had committed to play college baseball for the Arizona State Sun Devils. Hand instead signed with the Marlins that June for a $760,000 signing bonus and was assigned to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Marlins to begin his professional baseball career. In nine games there, seven of which were starts, Hand had a 2–0 record and 2.48 ERA, striking out 34 batters in innings. He was promoted to the Class A Short Season Jamestown Jammers at the end of August. His first win came on September 4, when he allowed two hits in six scoreless innings and the Jammers clinched a berth in the New York–Penn League (NYPL) playoffs. The Jammers reached the NYPL finals but lost the championship to the Batavia Muckdogs. Hand made three starts for Jamestown, in which he went 1–2 with a 3.00 ERA and struck out 12 batters in 15 innings.
In 2009, Hand was promoted to the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the Low-A South Atlantic League, where he went 7–13 with a 4.86 ERA in 26 starts. His 13 losses set a franchise record in Greensboro, but he also led the team that season with 122 strikeouts in innings. He improved as the season went on in Greensboro: Hand was 2–5 with a 7.68 ERA in his first eight starts, but had only a 3.84 ERA in his next 19 appearances. He was promoted to the Class A-Advanced Jupiter Hammerheads to begin the 2010 season, and by mid-June, he led the team with a 4–3 record, 3.33 ERA, and 74 strikeouts in innings. Hand was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending June 13 after pitching a complete game shutout against the Tampa Yankees. He went 8–8 with a 3.33 ERA in 26 starts for Jupiter before receiving a promotion to the Double-A Jacksonville Suns at the beginning of September. In his only appearance for Jacksonville that season, Hand held the Tennessee Smokies to four hits in six innings of a 6–2 Jacksonville win.
Florida / Miami Marlins (2011–2015)