'It's all been surreal': Pensacola Catholic alum Brandon Lockridge finding success with Padres

As Brandon Lockridge was talking on the phone, he was standing on the field at Petco Park, where Lockridge is now a member of the San Diego Padres.

The stadium, in the mid-afternoon, was obviously empty - moreso, because San Diego was getting ready to hit the road to Los Angeles for a series against the Dodgers. Nonetheless, Petco Park looked beautiful.

But maybe not as beautiful as when the stadium is packed with the Padres’ faithful.

“It’s a surreal moment to think, a month ago, I was in the headspace that I would not be here right now,” Lockridge told the PNJ. “It all happened so quickly, and I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity.”

Quickly is putting it lightly.

In the early morning of Sept. 11, Lockridge – who had been playing with Triple-A El Paso within San Diego’s organization – got a phone call that he was headed to the big leagues. El Paso had just played a game Tuesday night, and the team’s manager told Lockridge to keep his phone on. The Padres might need a player to get called up, and Lockridge had been in conversations.

He went to his apartment. The call came in around 1 a.m. He got to the airport around 6 a.m., and was on his way to Seattle to meet the team in the middle of its series against the Mariners.

Lockridge called his wife, who was back home in Alabama. San Diego had also booked a flight for her to Seattle.

“It was an eventful night to say the least,” Lockridge added.

Just two days later, now in San Francisco to play the Giants, Lockridge got his shot. He entered the game in the top of the ninth inning as a pinch-runner. The first play of his major league career was a stolen base – something he was well-known for at Pensacola Catholic and Troy University, where he played prior to pro baseball .

A few batters later, MLB superstar Manny Machado ripped a double to deep center field, and sent Lockridge sprinting home.

“I kind of blacked out, running around the bases and hearing everyone scream,” Lockridge said.

Lockridge eventually was in the outfield late in the game on Sept. 15 against the Giants, and then got his first Major League Baseball start on Sept. 18 against Houston at home, batting ninth in the lineup and playing right field.

He made it.

“Of the nerves I’ve had here, that was probably one of the most nerve-wracking games. I think I got two of the first three outs hit to me in right field, which helped me settle in. The fans here in San Diego are unbelievable,” Lockridge said. “To hear people chant my name in right field, you can feel the passion for Padres baseball. All that made it feel like I belonged, and made that first game go over pretty smoothly.”

Entering Thursday night, Lockridge has seen the field nine times with the Padres, with a single, two stolen bases and three runs scored. His first hit came on a bunt , with a runner ahead of him on first base. It was perfectly placed, as both the Lockridge and the other runner were safe .

Just like he drew it up.

“That was great. I know my role here is to do whatever I can to help the team,” Lockridge said. “At worst, I move the runner to second. It ended up being a pretty good bunt. To get the hit was great. …

“It’s all been surreal.”

Getting his chance

After playing with Pensacola Catholic and Troy, Lockridge was selected by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft. Over the last six years, he’s risen through the ranks of minor league baseball, going from the Florida Complex League Yankees in the rookie league to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in 2023.

Lockridge started with the RailRiders in the 2024 season, playing 72 games for the Pennsylvania-based team. At the end of July, Lockridge was traded to the San Diego Padres in exchange for a pair of right-handed pitchers, and was sent to Triple-A El Paso.

He went from playing around the Northeast to a place where it was 110 degrees outside every day. Suddenly, his Pensacola days were catching back up to him.

“I loved my time with the Yankees. They had such a big impact on my career, from coaches to players. … When I was traded, I was excited for this opportunity – any time you’re traded for, it means you’re valued,” Lockridge said. “To leave my friends and coaches that I spent my whole career with, it was bittersweet at the time. But the second I got to the Padres organization, it seemed like I would have better shot here. I’m super thankful for that move.”

The Yankees had been envisioning a similar role for Lockridge as to what he’s done as of late with the Padres, utilizing his speed as a pinch-runner after a late callup to the MLB with a team making a playoff push.

New York didn’t make the postseason in 2023, so he was never able to cash in on the opportunity.

“I had had some practice coming off the bench in Triple-A. That helped prepare me for that (first game). It’s definitely a different role from what I’ve done my whole career – not playing and then getting thrown into a game in a huge moment, late to steal a base,” Lockridge said. “To get to do it for the first time in San Francisco in front of a huge crowd, that’s pretty cool.”

Luckily, the transition to San Diego had been fairly smooth. Even with league stars like Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts – players that Lockridge had only watched on television before – there were a handful of former Yankees in San Diego that Lockridge had gotten to know during spring trainings the last few years.

“The first day, I was tiptoeing around the locker room,” Lockridge said. “Those familiar faces helped me settle in a little bit. … The players, staff, they’re all amazing. They’ve made it feel like home. Everybody’s gone out of their way to help this rookie settle in.”

Now he’s part of a push for the Padres into the postseason. San Diego clinched its spot in the playoffs on Tuesday – thanks to a wild game-ending triple play . Entering Thursday night, the Padres were in the first wild card spot for the National League with a 91-67 record.

They’re only a few games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers, looking to potentially clinch the division.

“I’m stoked, man. Every game has felt like a playoff atmosphere. We have great crowds,” Lockridge said. “There’s so much on the line every time you step on the field. We’re following along with what other teams are doing, controlling what we can control.”

‘It’s what I live for’

This isn’t the first playoff push Lockridge has been a part of. It’s far from it.

Going back to his freshman year at Pensacola Catholic, Lockridge was on the Crusaders’ squad that won a state championship under head coach Richard LaBounty . Lockridge said “it’s crazy” that it’s been that long.

“Everything’s been relative. I used to be nervous as all get-out batting cleanup for Catholic. Obviously we had a really good program there with a lot of winning history. At the time, I was nervous every single game,” Lockridge said. “Then I get to college at Troy, playing Division I baseball, and it’s the same deal there. And the feeling out here right now is similar to what I had at the beginning of my high school career. The nerves and adrenaline, it’s what I live for.”

They always say it’s about the journey, not the destination. While the destination, currently, seems pretty good in the MLB in sunny San Diego, Lockridge definitely hasn’t forgotten his journey.

While he was in middle school, and knew his parents were going to send him to Pensacola Catholic, his “sole goal” was to start for the Crusaders. He accomplished that, and then had the dream of starting in college baseball – and did that, too. Then came the aspiration of making it to The Show.

“To be here now, I never would’ve guessed this in a million years,” Lockridge said. “This game is tough. It’s very easy to fall into self-doubt and feel like you’re so far away. To finally be here, it’s so worth every struggle, everything that’s come along the way.”

And it all started, potentially, with a “pretty good chewing out” from LaBounty after a summer baseball game when Lockridge was still in high school.

Lockridge was playing short stop, and ended up “booting the ball” during a routine play.

“I moped to get the ball because I was upset, and a runner on second ended up scoring. Had I just got the ball, it’s first and third with two outs as opposed to a run scoring. … I probably had the best chewing out I’ve had in my life. I was so upset and couldn’t believe somebody would talk to me that way,” Lockridge said. “From that day forward, I was like, ‘I’ll never allow that to happen again.’ Something like that, being told that it’s not all about you, it was a massive impact on my career. He was brutally honest. He didn’t care who you were. Some guys didn’t like to hear it. But, at the time, I needed to hear it, and I’m super thankful for that.”

“He’s probably not the only one. But you can really get onto your kids if they know you love them and care about them,” said LaBounty, who noted Lockridge is his fourth alum to play in the MLB. “I certainly care about all my players, and we’re all excited at Catholic about Brandon making it to the big leagues. …

“To see any of your former players living their dream – whether it’s a great job, a great marriage or playing in the big leagues – as a coach, who has a lot of love for his players, I’m excited Brandon is able to live out his dream.”

Ben Grieco is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) and via email at BGrieco@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: 'It's all been surreal': Pensacola Catholic alum Brandon Lockridge finding success with Padres