photo: Blaze Jordan (Memphis Redbirds)
In a FREE article, The Cardinal Nation’s Top 50 prospect countdown for 2026 reaches no. 30 with a first baseman acquired from the Red Sox at the trade deadline but left exposed to the Rule 5 draft. Where will Blaze Jordan fit?
Position: First baseman
Age: 23 years old
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height/Weight: 6’0, 220 pounds
Acquired: Acquired from the Boston Red Sox for Steven Matz on July 30, 2025
Hometown: Southaven, MS
College: none
Opened 2025: Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A)
Primary team in 2025: Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A)
Finished 2025: Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A)
Prior Top 50 rankings – not applicable
Click on the above photo to be taken to Jordan’s player page at The Cardinal Nation, with additional biography and history information.
2025 highlights (Cardinals system only)
| Tm | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | HR | SB | CS | BB% | K% | BABIP | wRC+ |
| Mem | 186 | 0.198 | 0.242 | 0.366 | 0.608 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5.4% | 11.8% | 0.185 | 53 |
Kyle Reis’ scouting report
Kyle’s ranking – no. 25
I will preface this write-up by saying that I’ve decided to be dismissive of some of Blaze Jordan’s struggles with Memphis after he was acquired by the Cardinals organization. I’m doing this because Jordan was obviously pressing at the plate during every home game because Memphis is where much of his family lives. It was brutally obvious and often painful to watch, but it’s something that I feel empathetic toward because I feel like every person alive would do something similar. There’s probably a rant that I could make about concerns this might raise about how he would perform on the big stage, but I’m not going to take it in that direction either.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s start the substance of this report by simply stating that Jordan might be the weirdest prospect in the entire organization. Since his professional, affiliated debut during the 2021 season as an 18-year-old, Jordan has been a player caught between approaches, swing changes, and position swaps, all while battling his own limited athleticism.
Prior to the 2020 draft, this young man was a YouTube star thanks to his power-hitting prowess, and in some ways that has worked against how his success at the lower levels of the minors has been viewed. We know the power potential is there, but we also know that his current in-game swing and approach will continue to limit his ability to ever get to enough of that power to be a first-base only, first division difference maker. Also, because he seems to have only reached that in-game power by being extra aggressive at the plate, it’s safe to assume that advanced pitchers will take advantage of that and limit both his power and his contact tool.
And that’s where it becomes extra weird. At varying points in his affiliated career, Jordan has shown the ability to get to power. He’s displayed the ability to be selective and drive the ball. He’s been smart and in command of the box. However, all three of these things happen in circles all to themselves, rarely ever intersecting in the Venn diagram. If Blaze Jordan is ever going to make a major league debut – never mind a major league impact – then he needs to marry all of these tools in the box, and he’s going to need to do it with varying levels of a tweaked swing change.
Now that I’ve dragged Jordan through the muck, I would also like to point out that there is impact in this bat. When Blaze is selective and in control, he can hammer the baseball gap-to-gap, on a line with ideal and impressive exit velocities. It’s really the exit velocities in every quantifiable quadrant that make Jordan an intriguing prospect in the first place. If he can get the ball off the ground a little more, he would really be on to something.
There is balance in the swing that makes it easy to see how he’d be able to get to impactful power (especially if he can ever find a position for his hands that works with the rest of his body). Jordan also deserves credit for getting himself into tremendous shape over the last couple of years, reducing some of the dough and leaning up.
Right now, I think only the optimists amongst his camp would say that he has a chance to play third base at the next level. The realist knows that he’s worked to make himself as athletic as possible in pursuit of defensive averageness as a first baseman.
Jordan is an interesting bat who makes a ton of impactful contact with a less than desirable swing path and being too aggressive for his own good. If Jordan can refine his approach like how we’ve seen from Alec Burleson while tweaking that swing, then the Cardinals (or whichever team takes him in the Rule 5 draft if he’s taken) will reap the rewards of an impact bat at first base. A little bit more luck than he’s had while swinging the bat as a member of the Cardinals organization would hurt his profile, either.
Brian Walton’s environmental impact report
Brian’s ranking – no. 39
We break up our run of six consecutive pitchers profiled, no. 36 through 31, with first baseman Jordan. Like with our no. 31 prospect, Frank Elissalt, Kyle is more optimistic about a recent addition to the Cardinals organization than I am. In this case, our gap is 14 spots.
Background
Jordan was the Red Sox’ third round (89th overall) selection in the 2020 MLB Draft from DeSoto Central High School in Southaven, Mississippi. Southaven is a Memphis suburb and the third largest city in the state. His high school also produced Braves third baseman Austin Riley. Jordan signed for $1.75 million.
In his four stops from rookie ball through Double-A during 2021 to 2025, Jordan earned at least one league Player of the Week award at each level, with six in total. In both 2022 and 2023, MiLB named Jordan a Red Sox Organization All-Star. Following his 2023 stint in the Class-A Sally League, he received All-Star honors.
Defensively, Jordan has played both corner infield positions, including one quarter of his 32 games with Memphis at third base. He has compiled a .992 career fielding percentage at first and committed only one error in 566 2/3 innings and 494 total chances at the position in 2025. His career fielding percentage at third base is .940 and, in the majors, the hot corner will likely be an emergency-only option for him.
2025 recap
Jordan began his 2025 season in Double-A Portland and was promoted to Triple-A Worcester on June 3 after being named the Eastern League Player of the Month for May.
On July 30, Jordan was acquired by St. Louis for two months of the services of left-handed pitcher Steven Matz (including his remaining $4 million in salary commitment picked up by Boston).
At that time, Jordan had 22 doubles, 12 home runs and 62 RBI. His slash line was .308/.377/.495/.872. Through July, Jordan led all full-season Red Sox minor leaguers in batting average, RBI, hits (99) and total bases (159). He was second in runs (59), extra base hits (35) and slugging and fourth in home runs.
When traded, Jordan was ranked the no. 24 prospect in the Red Sox system by Baseball America.
As Kyle alluded to, Jordan had a very uneven Memphis debut. He was proficient in driving in runs but batted below the Mendoza Line.
In August, he drove in 22 runs in his first 23 games with the team but hit just .173 with a .200 OBP. In September, Jordan still plated 15 in 18 contests while improving his slash line a bit to .230/.296/.473/.769.
While his wRC+ was a dismal 53, his career-low BABIP of .185 indicates considerable misfortune at the plate with his new team that could level out over time.
For the entire season (Boston and St. Louis systems), his OPS against left-handed pitching was .801 and it was .778 versus right-handers.
2026 outlook
As noted, the Cardinals left Jordan unprotected in the December 2025 Rule 5 draft. Given his current lack of readiness for the majors and the very limited four-man benches most big-league clubs carry, I doubt he will be taken. There is no place to hide him on an MLB bench for an entire season.
I think it could be the worst thing possible for Jordan’s development if he made another career move at this time. Pinch-hitting twice a week in the majors would never enable him to receive the regular work needed to try to shore up his shortcomings.
Instead, it is far more likely that he returns to Memphis and puts up much better numbers as he settles in. From there, the timing of his addition to the 40-man roster and debut with St. Louis will depend on opportunity more than his Triple-A numbers.
Even if Willson Contreras departs in trade, Alec Burleson will almost certainly settle in as the everyday first baseman. The fact that Jordan is a right-handed hitter helps, but his one-dimensional value on defense is a major limiting factor given the small bench.
Even if Jordan doesn’t reach St. Louis during 2026, a strong year with Memphis could position him to be protected from the Rule 5 draft next fall. Pedro Pages is a recent example of a prospect who took advantage of that extra year of development.
Future outlook
Future Value: 35
Role: AAAA guy/reserve
Risk: Moderate
There are too many “ifs” surrounding Jordan right now for me to be optimistic about him sticking in the big leagues. It just feels like he still has a lot more to do ahead compared to the average Triple-A player and it is worth noting that he has already logged about 370 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors.
It may be unfair to him, but I envision Jordan’s most likely path is to become Luken Baker II, whom he essentially replaced with the Triple-A Redbirds. That is, the role of an offense-first first baseman who consistently mashes at Triple-A but is exposed against good major league pitching. I hope I am proven wrong, though.
MLB debut: 2026
Rule 5 eligible: 2025
Our 2026 Top 50 series continues
To see the entire list of top Cardinals prospects, grading scales and remaining article schedule, click here. This includes the Top 50 countdown and 10 in-depth, follow-up articles breaking down the list.
50 Days, 50 Nights, 50 St. Louis Cardinals Prospects for 2026
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Not yet a member?
If you enjoyed this article, please consider joining The Cardinal Nation to receive the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system, including access to every article in our 2026 Top Cardinals Prospects series.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
Follow Kyle Reis on X/Twitter.
© 2025 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.