The Boston Red Sox used the 89th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft to select viral power bat Blaze Jordan out of High School.
His already internet-famous power may have hurt Jordan's standing with the fans. Some people harp on the home run totals and miss out on everything else.
He was placed in a box. Everyone expected unreal power numbers, which led to some ignoring a great overall offensive performance.
In 2023, Jordan slashed .296/.350/.481 with 32 doubles, one triple, and 18 home runs between High-A and Double-A. The right-handed hitting corner infielder drove in 86 runs, scored 67 more, and stole two bases.
Jordan only drew 40 walks. But 75 strikeouts in 525 plate appearances (14.3% K rate) is phenomenal for anyone, let alone a 20-year-old in High-A and Double-A.
Jordan also played solid defense at third base and looked extra impressive at first base.
Boston Red Sox prospect Blaze Jordan gets candid about his weight loss
Despite a phenomenal 2023, Jordan is still on the outside looking in when it comes to prospects that Red Sox fans seem to hold in high regard. At times, it feels like Jordan can't win. There's always something that people are going to nitpick about his game.
That's not stopping Jordan from bettering himself, though. Earlier this offseason, the soon-to-be-21-year-old opened up about his mental health, dealing with anxiety and depression.
Around Thanksgiving, Jordan gave us another update. This time on his weight. The Mississippi native posted on Twitter that he weighed in at 210.7 lbs, 15.3 lbs lighter than the 226 he played the final game of the season at.
On Monday, we got another update. Now at 206.8 lbs, Jordan's shed nearly 20 pounds. I asked him a few questions about his journey.
What was your motivation to drop a few pounds?
My motivation to transform my body this offseason was because I felt like it was best for me and my career. It’s overall making me more athletic and quicker to play third and first base. I also didn’t want to be known as a one-dimensional guy as just a hitter, so I feel like this will make me the best overall athlete and help me be the best baserunner/fielder I can be while keeping my strength with my bat.
What are your goals for this weight loss?
My goals for this transformation were to be a better athlete and overall become quicker, which will help me in every part of my game.
What have you been doing to lose weight? Specific diet or workouts? Or is it a complete lifestyle makeover?
I’ve been on a strict diet where I cook every meal I eat and track my calories throughout the day. I also implemented a lot more cardio in my workouts this year while also wearing a 40lb vest during the cardio to make it tougher on me. And then also just grinding in the weight room to become as strong as possible.
You’ve been open about mental health. How important was that for you? Is this something you feel will help you mentally, too?
Being open about my mental health was important to me due to the fact I knew how much it hurt me. So I wanted to reach as many people as possible, so hopefully, they will reach out before I did. I feel like going into this year, I'll have a more clear mind than I have in the past seasons.
You're underrated defensively at third base, and I think your teammates would gladly rave about how many errors you saved at first. Is that something you pride yourself on? How do you think the weight loss will translate to the field?
Defense is something I take pride in because I want to save as many runs as possible for my team and my pitchers. I never want to be known as a one-dimensional guy as just a hitter. So, it’s something I put a lot of hard work into to continue to get better and better each day. I think this transformation of my body will help me in both positions at first and third base because I’ll be quicker and a better athlete.
What are your goals for 2024?
My goal for 2024 is to just stay healthy so I can play every day. Also, want to take my defense and base running to the next level because I know if I do that, it'll help put our team in a better position to win.
And lastly, on the hitting side. I’m just wanting to continue to work on my approach and swing at better pitches I can drive than I have in the past. So, ultimately, that will lead to more walks, and swinging at better pitches for me will also lead to more extra-base hits. I want to do all of this while keeping my strikeout rate down.