Red Sox Prospect Report: Blaze Jordan Finds More Offensive Success

Even with the Boston Red Sox season in full swing, there is plenty going on down on the farm. NESN.com will take a look at several high-level prospects at the midway point of the season and see how they are faring. Last up: Blaze Jordan.

It didn’t take long for the Red Sox fanbase to be enamored with the powerful right-handed swing of Blaze Jordan.

Jordan was most known for crushing baseballs well beyond the fence when Boston drafted the corner infielder in the third round of the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft. But now in his second full pro season, Jordan, who is still just 20 years old, is refining his offensive skill set while keeping his power stroke alive.

Jordan has found more success at the plate this season than he did in 2022, trending in the right direction as he tries to make the climb up the minor league ladder.

Here’s what you need to know about Boston’s power-hitting prospect at the midway point of the season.

2022 season stats: .289/.363/.445 (463 at-bats), 12 HRs, 68 RBIs, 48 BB, 5 SB
2023 season stats: .312/.372/.512 (324 at-bats), 13 HRs, 59 RBIs, 31 BB, 2 SB

Overview of Season
Jordan began the season at High-A Greenville and showcased the offensive strides he made.

He batted .324 in 72 games with the Drive to go along with 12 homers and 55 RBIs. Jordan told NESN.com he prioritized getting in better shape this past offseason, which he feels helped give him an uptick in the power department.

But as he worked to come more of a complete hitter, Jordan wanted to cut down on his strikeouts after fanning 92 times last season. He has whiffed 52 times so far in 2023.

“I feel like the biggest growth for me has definitely been at the plate. I feel like I became a better overall hitter,” Jordan told NESN.com by phone last week. “My power numbers have gone up a little bit this year and my pitch selection has gotten a whole lot better. I feel like I’ve cut my strikeout rate down quite a bit. That’s one of the goals I wanted to continue to work on, is continue to cut down the strikeout rate and not chase as much.”

The Red Sox saw enough out of Jordan to promote him to Double-A Portland earlier this month as he joins a star-studded group of prospects he’s plenty familiar with at that level.

“A lot of my buddies up here, like Marcelo (Mayer), Chase (Meidroth), Nick Yorke, a lot of them are up here,” Jordan said. “It was pretty cool to text them and tell them I’m coming up. I’m excited for the next level and just challenge myself a little bit more. I really felt like I was ready for that.”

Jordan is going through the expected learning curve — something even Mayer went through — during his first 10 games at Double-A. He has batted .216 (8-for-37) with four RBIs so far and his first hit at that level was on-brand, belting a late-inning, go-ahead home run.

☑️ First Double-A Hit
☑️ First Double-A Home Run

Blaze blasts one to left field and Portland is on top in the ninth inning in Reading! pic.twitter.com/ct3pv5h4pM

— Portland Sea Dogs (@PortlandSeaDogs) July 16, 2023

Best Performance of Season
Jordan put together a sensational showing in late April with Greenville against the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Jordan delivered a four-hit performance, which included a home run while also driving in four runs.

Change In Ranking?
Jordan has seen a slight rise in his ranking since the season started. Soxprospects.com moved Jordan up three spots on their list since April, ranking him as the No. 15 prospect in the organization. But everybody rated higher than Jordan doesn’t play the same position as him.

Estimated Arrival To Boston
There’s still plenty of work left for Jordan to do before getting to the big leagues. His strong bat in all likelihood carries him as far as he goes with SoxProspects.com estimating Jordan will make his Major League Baseball debut late in the 2025 season.