FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The relative youth of Jackie Bradley Jr. seemed like somewhat of a novelty. That was until David Ortiz put it in perspective.

"What were you doing when you were 22?"

The question was posed toward Ortiz in relation to where Bradley was in his life: a 22-year-old, on the cusp of making a major league roster less than two years after being drafted out of college.

"I was hitting bombs in the big leagues," the designated hitter quickly responded.

To be accurate, Ortiz hit nine home runs as a 22-year-old rookie before succumbing to a hamate bone injury. But before the setback, he was making his mark at the same age Bradley finds himself now.

The point is, this isn't exactly 19-year-old Bryce Harper forcing the world of baseball to do a double-take. Bradley is young, but not that young.

"Every organization has a different way of looking at it, but to me if a guy is ready, if he's 20 years old, he's 22 or 25, if he's ready and there's an opportunity that's fine," said Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino. "But to me it's not a benefit for a guy to come up at 22 and sit there. But to me 22, nowadays, in this game, is not young."

Truth be told, if Bradley does make the Opening Day roster he will only be 22 years old for 19 days before turning 23. And it's somewhat eye-opening when looking around the Red Sox clubhouse to compare and contrast where some of the others on the team were when they hit their 23rd birthday:

Mike Napoli: Just finished Single-A season in Rancho Cucamonga.

Dustin Pedroia: Five days after birthday was called up to big leagues for first time.

Stephen Drew: Spring training for what would eventually be first season in majors.

Will Middlebrooks: Just finished last full season in the minors, advancing from Double-A to Triple-A at the end of the year.

Shane Victorino: Just finished first major league stint (36 games with San Diego).

Jose Iglesias: Turned 23 on Jan. 5 of this year.

Jacoby Ellsbury: Just finished Double-A, season before being promoted.

Jonny Gomes: Just finished first MLB stint (8 games).

Jarrod Saltalamacchia: Had spent year in major leagues after being called up on 22nd birthday. Started the year in Triple-A, called up the week before his birthday.

Torey Lovullo: Called up for first time two months after turning 23 (made it to majors year after being drafted).

David Ortiz: Had just played 86 games in the big leagues for the Twins (9 homers).

Yet there are warnings from those who have put 23-years-old in their rearview mirrors. The consensus among Bradley's spring training teammates is that he's ready. But with every bit of praise, there are lessons ready to be passed on.

"There are times I'm still figuring things out. This game you learn every day," Ortiz said. "Let me tell you, if I have the mentality I have now when I was 22, we're talking about a different story. I really, really, really started figuring things out when I got to Boston."

The most prevalent piece of advice the players offer when it comes to finding success as a 23-year-old is finding a role that will put the player in the lineup every single day. Saltalamacchia, for instance, thought he had hit his stride when he was called up on his 22nd birthday. But once the playing time changed, so did his results.

"When I got called up I was ready and I was prepared. I was playing well. When I was traded over to Texas is when I struggled a little bit just because I was playing two days on, two days off. For a guy like that to be in the big leagues, he has to play," he said. "That's the biggest thing for young players, they don't know how to play two days on, two days off or be in a different role. You want to make that guy as comfortable as possible. The biggest thing is just playing. In Atlanta I knew my role, and in Texas I didn't know my role. That's tough for a young player."

The same went for Victorino, whose introduction to the big leagues came at 22 when he was selected by San Diego in the Rule 5 Draft (meaning he had to remain on the major league roster all season in order to stay with the organization). He saw how the inconsistent playing time can affect a young player, having gone through it himself and then witnessing it when his return bumped outfielder Domonic Brown to the bench in Philadelphia.

"If somebody's ready, somebody's ready," the outfielder said. "And the only way you find out is if you give the opportunity to do it. In Jackie's situation, I think he's put himself in a good situation to get that opportunity. But in his situation, you're not going to bring him up to the big leagues and have him sit there, either. For me getting there as a Rule 5 kid at 22, playing once a week, was tough. But I was a Rule 5 guy. That was different."

Then there is just understanding how much improvement is coming around the corner.

The 20-year-old Xander Bogaerts doesn't know what 22 is going to be like, but he does understand how much his body changed in the past two years. ("It's amazing the difference," he said.) And Middlebrooks, now 24, can even take stock of what life was like two years ago to where he finds himself now.

"These have been the biggest two years of baseball in my life," Middlebrooks said. "It's not only the major leagues, but it's Boston. Boston is a hard place to play in. I remember when I came up, [Kevin Youkilis] told me and Pedey told me that it takes a special player to play here, so you better learn to get thick skin and get tough or they're going to eat you alive. That's something I learned quick. I like the pressure to win here. A lot of people, that scares them because they're afraid to fail. I learned to fail plenty in the minor leagues."

"What [Mike] Trout and Harper did last year was pretty amazing," Pedroia said. "For me, (at 20 years old) I was a sophomore in college and Trout is second in MVP voting. I was just worried about doing my laundry on my own. It's pretty remarkable what they did."

The wave of warnings and advice won't stop for Bradley.

He is hitting .444, continuing to show he can most likely help a major league team. The outfielder has convinced his elders he is capable of making the jump. The vibe you get is: There are 22-year-olds and then there is Jackie Bradley Jr.

"I feel like he's more mature than I was at 22," Middlebrooks said. "I still knew everything he knows, but as far as a player, he's more advanced than I was. His approach is very solid. He'll spit on pitches on the black all day long. I couldn't do that. I was happy if I got to swing at a fastball."

"Just getting to know Jackie a little bit, he doesn't seem like a 22-year-old," Pedroia observed. "He's pretty special."

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Jackie Bradley Jr. will join WEEI's "Down on the Farm" on Sunday morning to discuss his rapid rise in the Red Sox farm system and the lasting impression that he's making in his first major league camp. Ryan Lavarnway will also join to discuss his view of player development at a time when his path to the big leagues isn't necessarily clear. Tune in on Sunday morning from 8:30-9 a.m. on WEEI 93.7 FM or WEEI.com, or listen to podcasts of the show at weei.com/podcast.