2017 Gull J.J. Bleday Reaches Major Leagues
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Chuck Paiva
July 26, 2022 President & General Manager
401-845-6832// gm@newportgulls.com
2017 Gull J.J. Bleday Reaches Major Leagues
Vanderbilt Outfielder Becomes 30th Alumni to Make MLB
Published By: Zach Letson – Broadcaster and Team Publicist
NEWPORT, RI- For a third time this season, a former Newport Gull has been promoted to the Major Leagues. After a decorated career at Vanderbilt University and less than three seasons in the minor leagues, outfielder J.J. Bleday received the call Saturday to make his MLB Debut with the Miami Marlins. In his first start with Miami, Bleday went 2-4 with a double.
A Panama City Beach, Florida native, Bleday joined the Gulls during the summer of 2017. After wrapping up his freshman season, of which he helped lead the Commodores to a NCAA Tournament Super Regional Appearance, he arrived in Newport.
Bleday played 24 games in a Gulls uniform, hitting .232 with two home runs and 12 RBIs. The outfielder ranked second on the Newport team with nine doubles, and connected on 11 extra base hits despite playing roughly half the summer season.
Following the summer of 2017, Bleday exploded offensively during his final two years at Vanderbilt. In 2019, the Commodores won the College World Series in large part to Bleday’s memorable season. As a Junior, Bleday hit .349 with 27 home runs and 72 RBIs. During the Commodores’ run to becoming National Champions, the outfielder was drafted No. 4 Overall by the Marlins and took home multiple postseason honors such as SEC Player of the Year.
“Definitely surreal,” said Bleday after making his MLB debut. “Happy so many people have helped me get to this point in my life.”
Just over three years since he was drafted, Bleday is the 30th Gull to play Major League Baseball. Welcome to the Show, JJ.
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The Newport Gulls, members of the 14-team New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded as the Rhode Island Gulls in 1998 in Cranston, R.I., before moving to Newport in 2001. In addition to recruiting, fielding, and developing a team of the nation’s top collegiate baseball athletes and attracting 50,000 fans annually to Cardines Field, the predominantly volunteer organization strives to benefit the community of Newport County via summer camps, reading programs, fundraisers, scholarships, and charitable donations – totaling over $1 million since 2001. The Gulls are six-time champions of the NECBL – the winningest franchise in league history – and were ranked as the overall No. 1 summer collegiate baseball team in the country by Perfect Game USA in 2012.
For more information about the Newport Gulls, visit facebook.com/newportgulls, follow the Gulls on Twitter @NewportGulls or visit www.newportgulls.com.
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