Born in Lafayette, Indiana, Bruntlett was a shortstop and second baseman for William Henry Harrison High School, with whom he won a state baseball championship in 1995.

A natural middle infielder, Bruntlett spent the next year practicing his outfield defense, allowing him to receive more playing time as a utility bench player.

[5] As a junior in 1995, Bruntlett won the Indiana High School Athletic Association state baseball championship with the Raiders.

[10][16] Bruntlett and the Cardinal advanced to the semifinal round of the 1999 NCAA Division I baseball tournament, where they lost 14–11 to the Florida State Seminoles.

[17] In his final season of college baseball, Bruntlett started all 62 games for Stanford, batting .352 with 24 doubles and 69 runs scored in the process.

[18] Bruntlett and his team reached the 2000 NCAA Division I baseball tournament finals, where they lost 6–5 to the Louisiana State University Tigers.

[23] Bruntlett began the 2001 season with the Double-A Round Rock Express of the Texas League, where he usurped Dave Matranga as the team's starting shortstop.

[24] After an offensive slump in May, Bruntlett made a mechanical adjustment to his swing, altering his bat path to improve his vision at the plate.

[25] After hitting .266 with three home runs, 40 RBIs, and a team-leading 23 stolen bases in Round Rock, Bruntlett was promoted to the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs at the end of August.

[30] The Zephyrs only recalled Bruntlett to Triple-A for the final game of the season, after second baseman Keith Ginter was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers as the player to be named later in exchange for Mark Loretta.

[23] Bruntlett opened the 2003 season with the Zephyrs, but his path to becoming a major league player was complicated when the Astros signed veteran infielder Jeff Kent.

[35] When José Vizcaíno fractured his wrist in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 24, 2003, Bruntlett was promoted to the Astros to take his place on the roster.

[36] Bruntlett made his major league debut on June 27 as a pinch hitter, flying out to center field against the Texas Rangers.

[37] After starting his MLB career 0-for-9, Bruntlett recorded his first hit on July 2, with a single against Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Wayne Franklin.

[40][41] He was promoted to the major league club again on August 31, one day before September call-ups, so that Bruntlett would be eligible for the postseason roster if needed.

Ultimately, he decided that defensive versatility was more valuable to the team than a left-handed relief pitcher, and Bruntlett was named to the Opening Day roster over Mike Gallo.

[45] After hitting .232 with three home runs and 19 RBIs in New Orleans,[46] Bruntlett returned to the Astros on June 14 while Everett nursed a hamstring strain.

[47] During this two-week stint, he went 2-for-10 with one home run and two RBIs,[48] and Williams praised Bruntlett's defensive ability at shortstop, second base, and center field.

[50] Because the end of the Zephyrs season coincided with Everett's expected return, Houston carried Bruntlett on the major league roster through the remainder of the year.

[23] The Astros qualified for the 2004 National League Division Series (NLDS), and Bruntlett was named to the postseason roster as a bench player.

[8] The Astros, meanwhile, finished in fourth place in the NL Central, pushing the front office to retool their roster for the upcoming season.

[78] On November 7, 2007, the Astros traded Bruntlett and closer Brad Lidge to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for center fielder Michael Bourn, relief pitcher Geoff Geary, and infield prospect Mike Costanzo.

[80] Because Philadelphia had an established middle infield of Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, there was no clear path for Bruntlett to become an everyday player, but manager Charlie Manuel hoped to give him regular playing time in a reserve role.

[91] The play was a needed victory for Bruntlett, who wanted to contribute to the team even as his offensive struggles subjected him to boos from fans at Citizens Bank Park.

[23][104] Bruntlett did not want to spend another year in Triple-A, and when he did not receive any major league contract offers for the 2011 season, he elected to retire from professional baseball.