Blaze Jordan

Jordan has a track record of destroying lefties and being so-so against same-handed pitching, yet he does so much damage against southpaws that his overall stat lines look pretty stellar. As a righty-hitting first baseman/designated hitter, he needs to prove he can do enough damage against right-handed pitchers to avoid being a dreaded short-side platoon bat. He still registers high-end exit velocities (33.3 Hard%) and has been young for every level he has played. Jordan's 18.0 K% and 9.2 BB% as a 19-year-old at Single-A and High-A should be taken seriously, although there are public reports suggesting he struggles to hit mid-90s velocity. We could be talking about an average hitter with plus-plus power if it all comes together. His complete lack of defensive utility will probably lead to him being unsung on real-life prospect rankings until he is nearly big-league ready, assuming he stays on this current trajectory.

If we knew Jordan would strike out at an 18.4% clip in 28 games across the Florida Complex League and Low-A during his debut season, there would have been a case to take him in the first round of first-year player drafts last offseason. His bat speed and raw power were already pretty legendary and he was the youngest hitter of note in his draft class (turned 19 in December), the big question was whether he would make enough contact to get to that power. He hit .324/.368/.590 with six home runs in 114 plate appearances to go along with that impressive strikeout rate, and while he still hasn't faced the most advanced pitching and his approach is a work in progress, he is ahead of schedule. Jordan had a linedrive rate over 24% and a 51.9% flyable rate, so his launch angle is close to optimized. He will continue to work at third base for now but could eventually slide down the defensive spectrum if he adds to his 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame.

Jordan's bat speed and prodigious raw power made him a YouTube sensation when he was 15. He reclassified to enter the 2020 draft early and received an over-slot $1.75 million bonus after Boston selected him with the No. 89 overall pick. Jordan's bat speed is tops in the class and his maximum exit velocity ranked in the 99th percentile, according to Perfect Game. As a pure hitter, he is difficult to project, but he has the necessary physical tools to make enough contact to get to his power. Back in 2019, there were concerns about his body, but he now has at least a chance of sticking at third base after re-dedicating himself last winter. There are dozens of safer prospects in this class, but few can match Jordan's upside if it all comes together. He was still 17 during instructs, where his pole-to-pole power was on display and he understandably struggled with strikeouts against much more advanced pitchers.