DeSoto Central High (Southaven, Miss.) produced a supplemental first-round slugger in Austin Riley in 2015, and five years later has a player with even more raw power. Jordan ranked as one of the top players in the 2021 class until he reclassified last May, becoming one of the youngest (17 years, five months on Draft day) and most intriguing prospects in the 2020 group. He won the High School Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game in July, though he had less success facing live pitching on the showcase circuit.
Few players in the 2020 Draft can do more damage to a baseball than Jordan, whose legend began to grow when he won his first national home run derby at age 11 and belted a pair of 500-foot homers at another when he was 13. His combination of impressive strength and bat speed allows him to hit mammoth blasts without a lot of loft in his right-handed stroke, and he recorded the highest exit velocity (106.9 mph) at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in October. He still has to answer questions about his hitting ability after a summer of swings and misses against older competition, though his proponents think he'll make enough contact once he gets more time to adjust.
While Jordan has worked diligently to lose weight and improve defensively at third base, most scouts believe he's almost certainly destined to play first base as a pro. The Mississippi State recruit possesses average arm strength but he's a below-average runner whose lack of quickness is better suited for first base. Wherever he plays, he'll create most of his value with his power.
Jordan was well-known for his power as an amateur, having gone viral for a pair of 500-foot homers when he was 13, and he moved up a year by reclassifying into the 2020 Draft where he was selected by the Red Sox in the third round before signing for $1.75 million. Jordan didn’t pop off in the upper Minors until 2025 in his third go-round at Double-A Portland, forcing a promotion to Triple-A Worcester at age 22. He was holding his own there when Boston traded him to the Cardinals at the Deadline for Steven Matz, and he struggled down the stretch, hitting .198/.242/.366 in 41 games for Memphis (though with a .185 BABIP).
Jordan has an interesting mix of tools that can make his skill set a bit of a roller coaster to evaluate. His in-zone contact rate was exceptional both before and after the trade, leading to K rates below 12 percent at both of his Triple-A stops, but he got much more swing-happy in Memphis, leading to a chase rate in the 40 percent region. His raw power remains plus, but his overzealous swing decisions led to a lot of ground balls (56.4 percent with Memphis) that kept that pop from playing in games.
Jordan was at his best in Portland when he was much more selective, and he’s talked about working on his bat speed and angles to get his pop back again. He still hit a career-high 19 homers in 2025 and could repeat that number with the right adjustments. Jordan has the arm strength for third but with well-below-average speed, he best fits at first base. St. Louis didn’t add him to the 40-man roster when he was Rule 5-eligible after the trade, but he’ll still only be 23 for the entire 2026 season.
Jordan was a legendary power hitter as an amateur, winning his first competition at age 11, blasting a pair of 500-foot homers at an event when he was 13 and prevailing at the High School Home Run Derby at the 2019 All-Star Game. He reclassified from the 2021 Draft to 2020 and went in the third round, signing for an above-slot $1.75 million. He has been more controlled and less dangerous than expected in pro ball, batting .296/.350/.481 with 18 homers between High-A and Double-A last season at age 20.
Jordan still hits the ball harder than most players his age, but he has taken a more measured approach as a pro than he did as an amateur. Though his bat speed and strength create well-above-average raw power, he has focused more on putting the ball in play early in counts and using the entire field rather than driving balls in the air. He's not going to fully tap into his pop unless he gets more selective hunting for pitches to launch and turning his right-handed swing loose when he gets them.
While Jordan has worked hard to improve at third base, his well-below-average speed and substandard range limit his effectiveness there. He has soft hands and decent arm strength, but first base is his likely defensive home, which puts even more pressure on his bat. He's an adequate, if not especially rangy defender, at first.
Jordan ranked as one of the top players in the 2021 class until he reclassified in May 2019, becoming one of the youngest (17 years, five months on Draft day) and most powerful prospects in the 2020 group. He was also one of the most famous, having won his first national home run derby at age 11, belting a pair of 500-foot homers at another when he was 13 and winning the High School Home Run Derby at the 2019 All-Star Game. The Mississippi high school prospect lasted until the third round of the Draft, where he signed for $1.75 million, the equivalent of early second-round money.
Jordan's combination of impressive strength and bat speed allows him to hit mammoth blasts without a lot of loft in his right-handed stroke. He hits balls with authority and recorded the highest exit velocity (106.9 mph) at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in October. There are questions about his hitting ability after he struggled against older competition on the showcase circuit, though his boosters believe he'll make enough contact once he gets more time to adjust.
While Jordan has worked hard to lose weight and get better at third base, most scouts believe he's destined to play first base as a pro. He has average arm strength but below-average speed, and his lack of quickness makes him better suited for first base. Wherever he plays, most of his value will come from his power.
draft
One of the top high school prospects in the 2021 class until he reclassified in May 2019, Jordan became one of the youngest players (17 years, five months on Draft day) and best power hitters in the 2020 crop. He won his first national home run derby at age 11, smacked a pair of 500-foot homers at another when he was 13 and won the High School Home Run Derby at the 2019 All-Star Game. After the Red Sox cut a below-slot deal with first-round pick Nick Yorke in the 2020 Draft, they took Jordan with their next choice in the third round and used the savings to pay him $1.75 million (the equivalent of early second-round money).
Jordan's value centers around his prodigious power, the product of impressive bat speed and strength that allow him to hit tape-measure shots without a lot of loft in his right-handed swing. He generates huge exit velocities and his pop already plays to all fields. There are concerns about his swing-and-miss tendencies after he struggled against older competition on the prep showcase circuit, though the Red Sox thought he showed a promising feel for hitting and the ability to adapt his approach during his introduction to pro ball in instructional league last fall.
Jordan has worked diligently to lose weight, gain quickness and improve at third base, and he spent a good deal of time in instructs focusing on his defense. He has soft hands and average arm strength but his below-average speed and range have most scouts believing he's destined for first base. Regardless of his position, most of his value will come from his offensive game, which has drawn him comparisons to Matt Holliday and Mark Trumbo.
A legendary power hitter as an amateur, Jordan won his first competition at age 11, notched a pair of 500-foot blasts when he was 13 and prevailed at the High School Home Run Derby at the 2019 All-Star Game. After reclassifying from the 2021 Draft, he went in the third round in 2020 and signed for an over-slot $1.75 million. He has made more contact and provided less pop than expected, but he was enjoying his best pro season in 2025 when the Red Sox traded him to the Cardinals at the Deadline for Steven Matz in a one-for-one swap.
While Jordan's bat speed and strength have created impressive exit velocities throughout his pro career, his aggressive approach has muted his well-above-average raw power from the right side of the plate. Swing-and-miss concerns dogged him during his amateur career, but strikeouts haven't been an issue in the Minors. He's making a higher quality of contact this year by being more judicious about what pitches he offers at, giving hope that he could turn into a .250 hitter with 20 homers annually at the big league level.
Jordan has to produce at the plate because he's a well-below-average runner who's a subpar defender on the infield corners. He has soft hands and decent arm strength, but he lacks range. Primarily a third baseman in his first four seasons, he has spent more time at first base this year.
A legend in power-hitting competitions, Jordan won his first event at age 11, slammed a pair of 500-foot homers at another when he was 13 and took top honors at the High School Home Run Derby at the 2019 All-Star Game. After reclassifying from the 2021 Draft to 2020, he signed for an above-slot $1.75 million in the third round. He took a more measured approach in his 2022 full-season debut, batting .289/.363/.445 with 12 homers between Single-A and High-A.
Jordan's aggressive right-handed stroke and struggles against older competition on the high school showcase circuit created swing-and-miss questions that hurt his Draft stock, but he managed an 18 percent strikeout rate last year while focusing on making hard contact from gap to gap. He impressed with his patience and pitch recognition while producing notable exit velocities for a teenager, albeit with more ground-ball contact than is optimal. His combination of bat speed and strength produces well above-average raw power, though it didn't translate into tape-measure shots in 2022 like it had in the past.
Jordan also gets credit for working diligently to improve his conditioning, quickness and defensive prowess at third base. He has soft hands and maybe enough arm strength for the hot corner, but most scouts believe his below-average speed and range will dictate a full-time move to first base, where he already has seen considerable action. His size, power and defensive limitations have earned him comparisons to Matt Holliday and Mark Trumbo.
Jordan was a legend in amateur home run derby circles, winning his first at age 11, crushing a pair of 500-foot homers at another when he was 13 and prevailing in the High School Home Run Derby at the 2019 All-Star Game. He reclassified from the 2021 Draft to 2020, landing an above-slot $1.75 million bonus in the third round as one of the youngest players and top power hitters in his class. He went deep six times in his 28-game pro debut last summer, including twice in nine Low-A contests.
Jordan's massive power has been good as advertised, as he crushes tape-measure shots to all fields and produces huge exit velocities with a right-handed stroke loaded with bat speed, strength and loft. While his struggles against older competition on the high school showcase circuit led to swing-and-miss concerns that depressed his Draft stock, his hitting and approach were better than expected in his introduction to pro ball. He's always going to be more slugger than pure hitter, but he has shown some willingness to use the opposite field and the ability to make adjustments.
Though most of Jordan's value will come from his bat, he has worked hard to improve his conditioning, quickness and defense at third base. He has soft hands and might become adequate at the hot corner, but his average arm and below-average speed and range fit better at first base. His size, power and defensive limitations have prompted comparisons to Matt Holliday and Mark Trumbo.
One of the top high school prospects expected to be in the 2021 class until he reclassified in May 2019, Jordan became one of the youngest players (17 years, five months on Draft day) and best power hitters in the 2020 crop. He won his first national home run derby at age 11, smacked a pair of 500-foot homers at another when he was 13 and won the High School Home Run Derby at the 2019 All-Star Game. After the Red Sox cut a below-slot deal with first-round pick Nick Yorke in the 2020 Draft, they took Jordan with their next choice in the third round and used the savings to pay him $1.75 million (the equivalent of early second-round money).
Jordan's value centers around his prodigious power, the product of impressive bat speed and strength that allow him to hit tape-measure shots without a lot of loft in his right-handed swing. He generates huge exit velocities and his pop already plays to all fields. There are concerns about his swing-and-miss tendencies after he struggled against older competition on the prep showcase circuit, though the Red Sox thought he showed a promising feel for hitting and the ability to adapt his approach during his introduction to pro ball in instructional league last fall.
Jordan has worked diligently to lose weight, gain quickness and improve at third base, and he spent a good deal of time in instructs focusing on his defense. He has soft hands and average arm strength but his below-average speed and range have most scouts believing he's destined for first base. Regardless of his position, most of his value will come from his offensive game, which has drawn him comparisons to Matt Holliday and Mark Trumbo.
These run values are leveraged, meaning the base/out situation at the time of the event does impact the run value (thus introducing context outside the batter's own contribution).
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's batted balls would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
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HR
2026
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1
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2
1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Player
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's batted balls would have been out of other stadiums. The "Standard" view here accounts for different wall heights and distances but excludes environmental effects. It is based purely on the observed trajectory of the hit.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here
