Boston Red Sox infield prospect Blaze Jordan’s stock is rising
The Boston Red Sox farm system has vastly improved under the guidance of chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. One of the exciting prospects who has been added to the system under Bloom’s watch is 2020 third-round pick, Blaze Jordan. While the 19-year-old has a steep climb ahead of him, Jordan has the potential to develop into one of the best prospects in baseball.
The Red Sox currently have four prospects in MLB Pipeline’s top 100 rankings. Marcelo Mayer (9) leads the way, followed by Triston Casas (18), Jarren Duran (25) and Nick Yorke (96).
Duran saw action in the big leagues last season and Casas is expected to make his major league debut later this year. Yorke is flying through the system. Even Mayer, who was drafted fourth overall last year, could rise quickly. These players won’t be prospects for much longer. What happens to the Red Sox farm system once these elite prospects graduate to the majors?
That’s a question that MLB.com aimed to explore by projecting one prospect from each organization who seems most likely to crack their top 100 list by 2024. The best prospects in baseball will reach the majors within the next year or two, allowing other young talent to rise in these rankings.
Jordan was their pick to stand at the top of the Red Sox farm system within two years. Even if Mayer or Yorke are still considered prospects by that point, Jordan is projected to join them in the top 100 rankings.
Jordan won a national home run derby at the age of 11 and was crushing 500-foot bombs in those competitions by the age of 13. His power potential is off the charts. He showcased some of the pop in his bat during his pro debut this year, hitting .324 with a .959 OPS, six home runs, eight doubles and a triple in 28 games split between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem.
MLB Pipeline currently lists Jordan as the No. 9 prospect in the Red Sox farm system. Aside from their top four who are already top 100 prospects, Jeter Downs, Brayan Bello, Bryan Mata and Jay Groome stand between Jordan and the top of the list. It’s possible that all of those players graduate to the majors within two years, allowing Jordan to rise naturally to fill the gap they leave behind. Or MLB Pipeline might simply have more faith in Jordan’s potential to emerge as an elite prospect.
Based on talent and his potential ceiling, Jordan already deserves to be higher on the list. Being a teenager who has barely had any exposure to professional baseball is the biggest factor burying him in these rankings. Mayer is a rare exception since he was arguably the best player in last year’s draft. He’s a special talent who vaulted toward the top almost immediately. It usually takes time for prospects to work their way up the list. Jordan is certainly capable of reaching that level of prospect status within two years.
Jordan has spent time at both first and third base, two positions that are already crowded for the Red Sox. By 2024, Boston could conceivably has Rafael Devers at the hot corner with Casas across the diamond covering first and Bobby Dalbec pushed into the designated hitter role. On top of that, the Red Sox need to find room for Mayer and Yorke with Xander Bogaerts potentially still in the mix. Boston’s infield could be absolutely loaded in a couple of years.
Where does that leave Jordan? That remains unclear but it’s a nice problem for the Red Sox to have. You can never have too much talent. Whether they stockpile depth to provide ample flexibility or use some of these players as trade chips, Boston’s future looks bright with the talent coming up through their system.