Former Royals veteran outfielder makes baseball history in unique career move

While the baseball world is currently fixated on the next big free agent signing or the next blockbuster deal, there’s more than just the MLB offseason going on at the moment.

The inaugural Banana Ball Player Draft began on Thursday and a familiar face etched himself in the history books as the first MLB player to jump into the sport on a full time basis.

In taking the big league route, the Indianapolis Clowns selected former World Series champion and MLB All-Star Jackie Bradley Jr. with the first overall pick.

Former Royals Jackie Bradley Jr. goes first overall in inaugural Banana Ball Player Draft

According to Anthony Gharib of ESPN,Bradley’s decision to join the electrifying and entertaining game of Banana Ball has been in the works for some time.

“The former Boston Red Sox outfielder…told ESPN that his decision to play Banana Ball came together ‘days ago’,” Gharib wrote.

“Bradley made an appearance for the Savannah Bananas during a July game at Fenway Park,” he wrote. “He called it a great appearance that ultimately led Jesse Cole, founder of Banana Ball, to reach out to him about joining the Clowns.”

As per Gharib’s report, Bradley views the opportunity to play for Indianapolis and their organization’s history as something more than just simply Banana Ball.

“The Clowns have a rich history, serving as the Negro Leagues’ version of the Harlem Globetrotters as an exhibition team and signing Hank Aaron to his first professional contract,” Gharib wrote.

“I feel like this was another opportunity to not only the league, but to be able to help the people behind me to … hopefully, catapult other African American ballplayers to want to play the game,” Bradley told Gharib.

Bradley marks a huge get for Banana Ball and their fan favorite brand ahead of the their first 60-game season in 2026.

His brief 43-game tenure with the Royals back in 2023 before leaving the majors may not have gone the best by any means – he slashed just .133/.188/.210 in 133 plate appearances.

However, he’s best (and certainly more fondly) known for his solid work with the Boston Red Sox for parts of nine seasons in which he was a career 18.0 bWAR player with 101 HR, 405 RBI and a .719 OPS. On top of that, there was his aforementioned All-Star nod back in 2016 and World Series in 2018, along with a Gold Glove that year too.

The 2026 Banana Ball season kicks off on February 26, with Bradley Jr. and the Clowns getting their season underway on February 27 against the Party Animals.