What to look for from every top Red Sox prospect in 2022

9: 3B/1B Blaze Jordan

What to look for: Holding his own at a full-season level

Though he doesn’t turn 20 until December, Blaze Jordan has been in the national spotlight for nearly nine years. He first gained recognition when he won a national Home Run Derby at eleven years old and won the High School Home Run Derby at the 2019 All-Star game in Cleveland. Jordan reclassed to the 2020 draft class and was taken in the third round at just 17 years and five months.

Expectations were high for Jordan in his first minor league season, and he didn’t disappoint. Over 19 games in the Florida Complex League, Jordan slashed .362/.408/.667 with four home runs and 19 RBI. His strong performance got him a callup to Single-A Salem, and while he didn’t hit nearly as well (.734 OPS), he did hit two home runs in nine games.

Jordan has major league power right now. That much has been evident since he was blasting 500-foot home runs at age 13. The question is whether the rest of his game will develop enough for him to become an everyday player at the big-league level.

Jordan has worked hard to improve his quickness and range at the hot corner, but most scouts project a future switch across the diamond. Like many young sluggers, Jordan has some swing and miss to his game, though his 18.4 strikeout percentage is far from unreasonable.

Jordan’s next step is proving he can hang at full-season ball. At just nineteen years old, Jordan will likely face some challenges in his first full season at Salem, but if he maintains his power and complements his strikeout totals with a sizeable amount of walks, it will qualify as a successful season.