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Red Sox Select Blaze Jordan, 3B/1B, DeSoto Central (MS)
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Post by Ryanod1 on Jun 22, 2020 20:52:07 GMT -5
Thanks for posting that Wily Mo Pena home run in KC. My buddy and I absolutely SLAMMED our beers for that one and proceeded to call for two boilermakers. What a blast. In five or so years, maybe Blaze can inspire a re-enactment of the Pena-inspired beer crushing. Haha no worries. He just seemed like a solid comparison for what a potential masher can do yet not have much of a career. Based on scouting I would guess Blaze brings more to the equation than this, but it's a reality check. I would guess that most know this is a possible outcome (but could go other way too- fingers crossed). I do miss some of Willy Mo's HRs for sure though. I read an article somewhere that said he had more power than any player ever seen. Goes to show how incredibly important it is to work with a young player on his mechanics, swing, recognition etc.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Jun 23, 2020 3:25:20 GMT -5
Of the players I've seen in person, the most powerful minor leaguer that didn't amount to much was Jack Cust. Amazing what he could do in the thin air of Colorado Springs. Literally the only minor league player I specifically went to games to watch.
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Post by Ryanod1 on Jun 23, 2020 3:39:37 GMT -5
Of the players I've seen in person, the most powerful minor leaguer that didn't amount to much was Jack Cust. Amazing what he could do in the thin air of Colorado Springs. Literally the only minor league player I specifically went to games to watch. Interesting. I never had a chance to see him play. Ive pitched against some kids who hit it a mile, but never faced anyone that could crank it 500 ft. I hit a HR that barely cleared 420 with aluminum yet these guys are doing that easy with wooden bats lol
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Post by johnsilver52 on Jun 23, 2020 5:51:00 GMT -5
Of the players I've seen in person, the most powerful minor leaguer that didn't amount to much was Jack Cust. Amazing what he could do in the thin air of Colorado Springs. Literally the only minor league player I specifically went to games to watch. Red Sox, back in the day used to always draft some big, hulking slugger up high in the draft. Rice of course made it and is in the HOF. I remember Rocky Alburtis as 1 that led the FSL in HR's 1 yr, but never amounted to anything and was gone soon. 1 guy who was a blast to watch swing and really get hold of one, was this really big guy named Jack "buck" baker. That dude would hit one every once in awhile WAY up the light poles at old chain-o-lakes stadium and it was 330 down the lines there. He had massive power, just swung from his hips and really took a rip. Think he got few dozen AB's at MLB level years later, but watching him was about as fun as watching a young Kirk Gibson here at lakeland play and swing back then.
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Post by vermontsox1 on Jun 23, 2020 7:34:35 GMT -5
Appreciate all the reminiscing of power hitters of years past, but let's keep this thread to a discussion of Blaze. Thanks!
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Post by Ryanod1 on Jun 23, 2020 11:51:28 GMT -5
Appreciate all the reminiscing of power hitters of years past, but let's keep this thread to a discussion of Blaze. Thanks! Sorry. My actual intention was using Willy Mo as an example of possible outcomes. A guy can hit a mile but still flop is the moral of the story I guess haha
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Canseco
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Post by Canseco on Jun 23, 2020 11:57:00 GMT -5
Appreciate all the reminiscing of power hitters of years past, but let's keep this thread to a discussion of Blaze. Thanks! Sorry. My actual intention was using Willy Mo as an example of possible outcomes. A guy can hit a mile but still flop is the moral of the story I guess haha It is critically important that no man’s right to reminisce about funny sluggers is impeded... no matter the topic of thread or conversation!
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Post by jmanny24 on Jun 23, 2020 13:54:12 GMT -5
I have a question. Now that the school year is over, is Jordan still eligible to play in PG events? The reason I ask is I have a cousin playing in one this weekend in Alabama and I know Jordan played in one at the same complex in March for his HS. Was just curious if it was possible for him to be playing in the event this weekend.
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Post by tyler3 on Jun 23, 2020 18:19:17 GMT -5
So I was a ... tad negative on draft night. Trying to get over that but just saw Bitsko got “only” 3 million. It just makes me wonder how much Yorke agreed to? I know that the Sox love Yorke but I have to believe those who say they liked him as much as PCA are over reaching and much closer to the truth is that they liked Yorke in the same area as PCA and not as much but in the ball park. Yorke plus savings plus enhanced pick at whoever fell at 89 was better than PCA at slot whatever they had left for 89 pick. But if they didn’t save that much with the Yorke pick, which was rumored on Sox prospects podcast, say he picks up close to 3 of the 3.6 than that would be interesting in my opinion. Then you would essentially be looking at Bitsko and Blaze vs. Yorke and Blaze. Lot of hypotheticals of course, and I’m sure Yorke is the second coming of Pedroia....but Bitsko and Blaze would have been something.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Jun 23, 2020 20:21:07 GMT -5
I have a question. Now that the school year is over, is Jordan still eligible to play in PG events? The reason I ask is I have a cousin playing in one this weekend in Alabama and I know Jordan played in one at the same complex in March for his HS. Was just curious if it was possible for him to be playing in the event this weekend. No. Those events are showcases for players trying to be drafted in later years, not for 2020 draftees.
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Post by ramireja on Jun 24, 2020 13:37:15 GMT -5
To celebrate Jordan's signing news, enjoy this video of him hitting bombs at Progressive Field to win the 2019 MLB High School Home Run Derby:
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Post by patford on Jun 24, 2020 14:40:07 GMT -5
Listening to the Podcast on Jordan. Most all the reports on Jordan mention "early pitch recognition." Not much more is ever said about that part of his scouting report. Isn't that a pretty important part of a hit tool ? One of those things which are difficult to teach ? Does that ability suggest the overall hit tool might improve substantially ?
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Post by Ryanod1 on Jun 24, 2020 16:12:31 GMT -5
Listening to the Podcast on Jordan. Most all the reports on Jordan mention "early pitch recognition." Not much more is ever said about that part of his scouting report. Isn't that a pretty important part of a hit tool ? One of those things which are difficult to teach ? Does that ability suggest the overall hit tool might improve substantially ? It is important. I would assume it is included when considering future hit tool. The faster you know what the pitch is then your swing can adjust to it. This is why hitters are often fooled on changeups. They throw them at the same arm speed to look like a fastball. So this is the pitcher compensating to fool a hitter from picking it up quickly. Its not really something you can teach as much as it being natural, but can be picked up quite a bit with repetition. Its similar to the importance of hand eye coordination. Overall its the type of thing that good hitters have, but its only one point towards a slew of things (that make a hit tool). It helped me immensely growing up where I could pick up the laces immediately.
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Post by azblue on Jun 25, 2020 15:11:30 GMT -5
Desoto's Blaze Jordan gets $1.75M deal from Boston Red Sox
Mississippi Clarion Ledger (short excerpt below):
Blaze Jordan is reportedly turning pro, and it took a significant amount of money to steer him away from Mississippi State. The 17-year-old slugger from Desoto Central High has agreed to a $1.75 million deal with the Boston Red Sox, according to multiple reports. Boston selected Jordan 89th overall in the third round, a slot with a value of $667,900.
In four years of playing varsity baseball at DeSoto Central, Jordan hit 19 home runs with a .440 batting average. He's been named a Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen and the 2020 Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year.
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Post by tylerson on Jun 25, 2020 15:59:09 GMT -5
Huh, man I know Ian covered it in the podcast and that Blaze usually played up a year but.....that really doesn’t seem like a lot of power for high school ball out of Mississippi....
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Post by tylerson on Jun 25, 2020 16:30:41 GMT -5
He had 10 dingers his last full year (he would have been like 16). Then his in game power seems to have disappeared last summer and through 13 games this year (0 is Ian pointed out).
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Post by Coreno on Jun 25, 2020 18:25:41 GMT -5
I do wonder what kind of fields he played on, because the power numbers didn't exactly disappear. No homers, but 11 XBHs in 13 games.
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Post by azblue on Jun 25, 2020 19:04:35 GMT -5
One scout said that he seemed to be "too results oriented" in 2019, which I took to mean that he was trying to hit a 600-foot home run on every swing.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Jun 25, 2020 22:00:30 GMT -5
I'm not overly worried about it. It's a 13-game sample. And even without hitting any home runs, he slugged .777 on the strength of 3 triples largely. Given his speed, I'm going to assume those were crushed balls on fields without a fence, or at least a super far one.
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cdj
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Post by cdj on Jun 25, 2020 22:31:01 GMT -5
I don’t worry about high school HR totals all that much after playing in a home field that was about 450 to center and 385 or so down the left field line (outfield doubled as a soccer field)
Was a pitcher and didn’t allow a single home run on that field in 4 years of playing there. Gave up plenty of 350-400 ft fly outs tho
One guy who ended up playing juco took one about 430 to center off of me in a scrimmage. I died laughing on my way back to dugout. Didn’t even get to the track. It was a joke
TLDR: HS home run totals are useless without context imo
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Post by tyler3 on Jun 26, 2020 11:11:27 GMT -5
I think those are all solid points. And just glancing at a stat sheet like I did, not exactly a deep dive. I guess my only hesitation is the drop off from the year before where I presume he played at the same fields. That combined with a lackluster summer of what has been described as a lot of swing and miss, and his one real carrying tool is power or is supposed to be. He obviously lost a lot weight to try and get fit for third, and some have said the timing of that corresponded with the drop of in game power. Maybe once he joins the club and his body even matures a little. Who knows. I’m just bitter we didn’t get a HS pitcher who almost assuredly would prove to be a bust.
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Post by greenmonster on Jun 26, 2020 11:25:15 GMT -5
I don’t worry about high school HR totals all that much after playing in a home field that was about 450 to center and 385 or so down the left field line (outfield doubled as a soccer field) Was a pitcher and didn’t allow a single home run on that field in 4 years of playing there. Gave up plenty of 350-400 ft fly outs tho One guy who ended up playing juco took one about 430 to center off of me in a scrimmage. I died laughing on my way back to dugout. Didn’t even get to the track. It was a joke TLDR: HS home run totals are useless without context imo We must have played at the same field......lol
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Post by ramireja on Jun 26, 2020 11:44:27 GMT -5
For what it's worth, Blaze Jordan attended 44 Perfect Game events over the course of his career and hit 15 HR across those events. I can't tell you how many games or plate appearances are in 44 events, but I know the PG scouts talk about his 15 HR as a very impressive figure among the HS circuit against quality (and often older) competition.
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Post by azblue on Jun 26, 2020 13:08:03 GMT -5
There have been reports that Jordan hits better against excellent high school pitchers than he does against pitchers serving up 75 mph fastballs and 60 mph curves.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Jun 26, 2020 14:43:26 GMT -5
I played on a field with no LF fence and also never hit a HS home run.
Going to leave that out there so folks can imply causation.
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