No. 15: Red Sox corner infield prospect Blaze Jordan
Blaze Jordan has had an interesting narrative surrounding him since being a third-round draft pick in 2020. There have been a lot of trying to tear him down.
He's not good enough in the field. You can't have a right-handed first baseman. He's nothing but flashy power. His bat speed isn't good enough for the high minors.
Jordan's done an incredible job of disproving all of those.
The right-handed hitter slashed .296/.350/.481 with 32 doubles, one triple, and 18 home runs between High-A and Double-A. He drove in 86 runs, scored 67 more, and stole two bases.
Jordan walked 40 times (7.6%) and only struck out 75 times (14.3%). You'd love to see the walk rate jump next season, but you can't help but be impressed with the strikeout rate.
Jordan is showing off that exciting power while continuously putting the ball in play. His numbers did go down in Double-A, but he held his own despite being just 20.
Jordan definitely punishes breaking stuff, but he's shown growth against fastballs. The low strikeout rate is encouraging and shows that Jordan can handle better pitching.
Meanwhile, the power is real. There's a reason people were so enamored with him before. 30-plus home run seasons could come in bunches.
Defensively, Jordan has showcased a phenomenal arm and a decent glove at third base. Personally, I thought he was a positive at first base, and his defense there is underrated.
Speed isn't ever going to be a part of his game. That's fine, though. You don't expect power-hitting corner infielders to be burners.
Blaze Jordan came into the Boston Red Sox organization as a fun power bat who needed to prove a lot of doubters wrong. Through three years, Jordan's shut a lot of them up.
Hit: 55
Power: 65
Run: 40
Arm: 60
Field: 50
Overall: 55