Mississippi State signee Blaze Jordan drafted in third round by Red Sox

Mississippi State baseball signee Blaze Jordan has become the fifth player with Bulldog ties selected in this year's MLB Draft, joining fellow signee Austin Hendrick and current players Justin Foscue, Jordan Westburg and J.T. Ginn.

Jordan, the corner infielder from DeSoto Central High School in Southaven, was chosen in the third round by the Boston Red Sox with the 89th overall selection on Thursday. The slot value for the 89th overall pick is $667,900. Jordan will have until August 1 to work out a deal with the Red Sox should he decide to begin his professional career, though he could also elect to turn down Boston and head to MSU.

Whether it's with the Red Sox or the Bulldogs, here is a snippet of what Jordan's next team will be getting, via his MLB Pipeline Scouting report:

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.

For more on Jordan from MLB Pipeline, CLICK HERE.

For more on the other players with Bulldog ties taken in this year's draft, click the corresponding link below: