You know the story.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This high school player, drafted in 2020, possessed a power upside that scouts drooled over. He signed for over-slot money, and the hope was that he could be a middle-of-the-order bat. When he hits the ball, the power is apparent. It just hasn\u2019t translated to pro ball as it should. The coaches, wanting to get the most out of this promising young prospect, started working on changing his swing. The primary focus being the launch angle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His other problem was playing third base with limited range. He was also blocked at third by a player who made the All-Star team in 2021 and 2022. His limited range and being blocked at third required learning a new position.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I know what you are thinking. This is just one more Jordan Walker article. And, well, you are wrong. This is about the other Jordan \u2014 Blaze Jordan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The parallels are spooky. Everything written above fits both players exactly. Even the fact that Nolan Arenado and Rafael Devers were All-Stars who blocked both players.\u00a0They were widely ranked as the #1 and #2 corner infield prospects in that draft class. Blaze became a YouTube sensation at age 13 after winning home run derbies with 500-foot blasts at MLB stadiums. By age 17, Jordan Walker was already recording 105+ mph exit velocities in wood-bat showcases, a feat usually reserved for fully developed Major Leaguers.<\/p>\n
Chaim Bloom drafted Blaze in 2020 and at last year\u2019s trade deadline traded Steven Matz to the Red Sox to get him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There have been several articles written about how the Cardinals\u2019 experiment with Walker<\/a> has shown inconsistent results. The question then is, with the uncanny similarities, will this work out any better for Blaze? There are a few reasons it should, even though Walker seems to be still struggling.\u00a0<\/p>\n Baseline<\/p>\n First, they are starting from opposite mechanical baselines. While both players have struggled with hitting too many ground balls, the fix for each is different.\u00a0<\/p>\n Blaze Jordan has a very low strikeout rate (around 11%-14% in Triple-A). Because he seldom swings and misses, he has a massive margin for error. If he tweaks his launch angle, he is still expected to put the ball in play.<\/p>\n Jordan Walker has struggled with a much higher strikeout rate (surging over 30% in 2025). When Walker tries to change his swing, he risks adding more “whiff” to an already high-strikeout profile. Blaze doesn’t have that same risk of falling into a “swing and miss” trap.<\/p>\n Cause and solution<\/p>\n The cause of their ground balls\u2014and therefore the solution\u2014is different:<\/p>\n