Blaze Jordan is climbing the Red Sox minor league ladder
The MLB trade deadline has shaken up the Red Sox minor league system. As prospects were shipped out or designated for assignment, a path cleared for others to move up. The latest beneficiary is Blaze Jordan, who earned a promotion to Low-A Salem following an impressive run in the Florida Complex League, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.
Red Sox 2020 third-rounder Blaze Jordan, after a ridiculously impressive run in the Florida Complex League, has been promoted to the Low-A Salem Red Sox.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) August 3, 2021
Jordan hit a scorching .348 with a 1.018 OPS, three home runs and 18 RBI in 73 plate appearances spread over 18 games in the FCL.
As is the case for many young sluggers, strikeouts were a concern for Jordan entering the season but he managed a reasonable 17.1 strikeout percentage. For comparison, strikeout machine Bobby Dalbec posted a 23.1 K% in his first season of pro ball playing for the short-season Lowell Spinners. He produced a 28.1 K% in a very brief sample in the GCL the following season but jumped to an alarming 37.4 K% in 78 games after moving up to Low-A.
Jordan could see his strikeouts spike when he moves up to that same level but at least he wasn’t whiffing nearly as much as Dalbec did early in his minor league career, suggesting that he won’t follow the same path as the struggling hitter currently leading the majors in strikeout rate.
Jordan’s production in the FCL was eye-opening from a young player getting his first official taste of pro ball. The Red Sox selected Jordan in the third round of the 2020 draft but he would need to wait to see live game action with the minor league schedule being wiped out by COVID last year.
The then-17-year-old was one of the youngest players in his draft class but the power-hitting phenom had already been making a name for himself since the age of 11 when he launched a 395-foot rocket during a home run derby at the Texas Rangers’ old stadium. Two years later, Jordan became a YouTube sensation by smashing 500+ foot homers at another competition in the same ballpark.
While he was arguably one of the top high school bats in last year’s draft class, Jordan slid to the third round because teams were concerned about signing him due to his commitment to Mississippi State. The Red Sox inked him with a $1.75 million signing bonus, well above the $667,900 slot value for the 89th pick in the draft. Boston could afford to overpay Jordan to sway him away from going to college since they signed first-round pick Nick Yorke for well under slot value.
MLB Pipeline currently has Jordan ranked No. 10 in the Red Sox farm system but he could quickly rise up the list if he finishes the season strong in Salem. Jordan will now be a teammate of Yorke, who ranks No. 8 in the Red Sox system, as well as Gilberto Jimenez, the exciting outfield prospect who ranks No. 5. That’s a lot of talent leading the lineup for Low-A Salem.
Jordan is still only 18 years old and has a long road of development ahead of him before he can sniff the big leagues but the encouraging start to his minor league career should get fans excited about his future.