Been a baseball fan and player my whole life, played dynasty for 10 years. Co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023 and joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
Hello and welcome to the Dynasty Baseball Pickups written series! The Dominican Summer League is about to start, so we will have a whole new pool of players to pull from. It’s important to remember that everything in the DSL needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Still, sometimes we need to act fast to get in on some of the highest risers in all of the minor leagues (after all, that is where we got our first glimpses of Jesus Made, and his stock took off after I wrote about him in mid-June last season.) No DSL names just yet, but in this week’s article, I dive into a pair of post-hype bats making adjustments, a 2024 draftee who is making his pro debut this year after not pitching in a game for nearly two years, an under-the-radar bat who might be close to a big league debut, and a deep league special on the mound who has a long ways to go but has shown some interesting skills in his young career. Now, let's get into this week's dynasty pickups.
*Note: all stats current through Friday, May 30/25 and all minor league statcast data is sourced from TJ Stats unless otherwise stated
Jordan was thought to have prodigious power when he was drafted out of high school, but so far in pro ball, his power has wavered, and his contact skills have shone. Outside of a nine-game Single-A sample in 2021 and a 25-game High-A sample in 2022, he’s kept his K% below 20% and has posted at least a 78% contact rate at every stop since the start of 2023 (according to Fangraphs). That trend has continued this year with an 83.1% zone-contact% (per TJ Stats) and an 81.4% contact rate overall (per Fangraphs), but what has changed is his approach - he was uber-aggressive in 2024 with a 56.8% swing rate overall and a 35.3% chase rate that ranked 21st percentile in Double-A. So far, at the same level this season, he has cut the overall swing rate to 45.8%, but more importantly, his chase rate is down to just 27.1%. With the change in approach, his entire stat line has improved, with his average up more than 50 points, OBP up 100 points, and his slugging percentage up nearly 120 points. His ISO has also jumped almost 70 points, and his wRC+ at the level is up from 95 in 2024 to 163 so far in 2025. It’s still early, but he has more walks than strikeouts this year.
Final Thoughts
Jordan has now played over 130 games at Double-A between this season and last, and I think it’s fair to say he’s mastered the level. He should be in Triple-A in short order, and if the Red Sox haven’t figured out their 1B situation by August, I wouldn’t be shocked if Jordan becomes a solution they decide to try out. I’m not saying it’s likely, especially with how hesitant the Sox seem to be regarding calling up their prospects. Still, there’s a real chance Triston Casas will miss significant time in 2026, and I think that is a very realistic timetable to see Blaze Jordan attempting to conquer the Green Monster. Jordan has ranked as high as 72 overall in the historical PLive ranks (October 2023) and spent nearly the entire 2023 season in our top 100. His pedigree means he might not be out there in many leagues, but check the wire because some have certainly dropped him. With the adjustments he’s making, he deserves to be back inside the top 250 and, at the very least, a worthy addition in any league with more than 200 prospects rostered.
Where to pick up: Leagues with 200+ prospects rostered
Baez has long been known for his tremendous power, with our scouts saying he had “60 raw power present, maybe 70, and he gets into it in-game” back in 2021 when he was drafted in the second round out of high school by the Cardinals. He’s always shown strong athleticism, but there are concerns surrounding his approach and hit tool. Those strengths and weaknesses have rang true throughout his entire pro career…until now. The power and athleticism are still there, but his approach and contact skills seem to have taken a step forward as he has toned down his overall aggressiveness at the plate (52.1% swing% in High-A in 2024, 46.3% in 2025) and seen a significant bump in his contact rates (70.8% zone-contact% in High-A in 2024, 79.7% at the same level in 2025). It is worth noting that he’s still chasing pitches out of the zone too much, but his contact rate on pitches out of the zone has risen even more, from just 33% in High-A last year to 62.5% at the level this season. With all these improvements, it’s no wonder he’s cut his K% by nearly 15%. While he typically only grades out as a fringe-average runner, he stole 29 and 30 bases in 2024 and 2023, respectively, and has already swiped 20 bags while only being caught twice in his first 38 contests this season.
Final Thoughts
Did I mention Baez was also a pitcher in high school and was up to 97 on the mound? Sometimes, it takes a little while for everything to come together when these big, premium athletes start focusing on one side of the ball, and that might be precisely what is happening for Baez right now. When I started this article, I thought it wouldn’t be surprising to see Baez promoted to Double-A before too long, and low and behold, the Cardinals gave him that bump while I was writing this. The upper levels of the minors are where his acumen on the basepaths, as well as his seemingly improved approach and contact skills, will be truly put to the test. If he continues to succeed early on in his first taste of Double-A, his stock could rise very quickly, and if he doesn’t, he will be an easy option to churn back off your roster. That makes now the perfect time to get in on Baez and see whether he will be worth holding on to.
Where to pick up: Leagues with 300+ prospects rostered
Been a baseball fan and player my whole life, played dynasty for 10 years. Co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023 and joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
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As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
Been a baseball fan and player my whole life, played dynasty for 10 years. Co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023 and joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
