Brandon Lockridge making splash in MLB

Brandon Lockridge is a former Troy baseball player who was drafted 157th overall by the New York Yankees in the 5th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He did not make his MLB debut until 2024 however, when he debuted for the San Diego Padres.  

He debuted at the age of 28, which is late compared to others around the league. While he debuted late by MLB standards, he didn’t let that slow him down and he played with the same intensity as he did in college. He hasn’t backed down and has taken every opportunity he can. 

Troy Athletics photo

Brandon Lockridge celebrates after scoring a run.

Lockridge played 175 games across three seasons for Troy where he drove in 101 runs and bashed 12 homers. The speedy outfielder finished his college career with a .836 OPS and flashed his wheels with 14 career triples and 37 stolen bases.  

Lockridge was selected to the All-Sun Belt First Team during his 2017 sophomore season. 

During his debut season with the Padres, he played 12 games with 12 at-bats and scored four runs, even swatting a home run.  He played 34 innings in the outfield and recorded a perfect fielding percentage. 

After his 2024 cup of coffee, Lockridge carried his momentum to an opening day start with the Padres in 2025. While he didn’t put up eye-popping numbers to start the season, Lockridge swiped eight bags in nine opportunities and provided San Diego versatility off the bench. 

At the trade deadline, the Milwaukee Brewers traded for him by shipping left-hander Nester Cortes and shortstop Jorge Quintana to the Padres. So far, he hasn’t played too many games for the Brewers but in those games, he has scored seven runs and notched six RBIs to pair with a .722 OPS.  

The Brewers didn’t make many big moves around the deadline, but trading for Lockridge is one of the significant moves they made. However, Milwaukee has been scorching since the deadline, leading MLB with a 17-6 record. 

The Brewers have been ranked No. 1 in the MLB’s power ranking for the past six weeks and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change for now. Lockridge and the Brewers look to continue their torrid stretch as the season continues.