The Rule-5 draft is approaching quickly and the White Sox will have the second overall pick this year. Last year, the White Sox used the first overall pick on starting pitcher Shane Smith. This turned out to be a very good pick, as he was the all-star representative for the White Sox at the midsummer classic.
For all the good it can bring, the Rule-5 draft is very volatile. Last year was great for the White Sox in terms of Rule-5 draft players, as Shane Smith and Mike Vasil should both be long-term pieces after impressing in their rookie seasons. However, prior to that, you have to go back to 2017 for the last Rule-5 player that made any sort of impact for the White Sox, that being starting pitcher Dylan Covey. The White Sox will look to strike gold again this year and will have an interesting pool of players to choose from.
The trickiest part about the Rule-5 draft is that the player must remain on the roster the entire season or they will have to return the player to the team they selected them from. This means it makes more sense to pick a player who has been in AA or AAA, as they will be more prepared to make the jump to the major leagues. Additionally, sometimes there is a reason why a team left a player unprotected, as if it is not due to a 40-man roster crunch, they may simply not care if they lose the player, which isn't always a good thing.
While the White Sox had more success with developing rule five pitchers this past season, as Gage Workman did not end up working out, there are some intriguing hitters out there this draft cycle. One hitter the White Sox could be interested in is Blaze Jordan from the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
Jordan was selected in the 3rd round of the 2020 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox, and he currently ranks as the 19th ranked prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals system.
Jordan has had an interesting minor league career to this point, but he is just 22 years old and made it to AAA last season. Now, Rule-5 draft eligible, it seems very likely that a team will take a chance on him, and the White Sox could be that team.
In 2021 between the Arizona Complex League and low-A, Jordan slashed .324/.368/.590 while adding six homeruns and 26 RBIs. In 2022, Jordan slashed .289/.363/.445 between low-A and high-A, adding 12 homeruns and 68 RBIs.
In 2023, Jordan split between high-A and AA, slashing .296/.350/.481, while adding 18 homeruns and 86 RBIs, this was extremely impressive as a 20 year old playing at those levels.
Jordan took a bit of a step back in 2024, as he spent the whole season in AA. He slashed .261/.305/.308, adding just seven homers and 61 RBIs.
BLAZE JORDAN CRUSHES A @HueysRestaurant HOMER! pic.twitter.com/cFjumA4e0y
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) August 31, 2025
However, Jordan rebounded with a huge 2025 season. He started the year at AA, hitting .320 with a .415 OBP. He added six homeruns and 37 RBIs. He was rewarded with a promotion to AAA, where he would continue to play well. He hit .298 with a .341 OBP, adding six homeruns and 25 RBIs. This was a very solid debut in AAA, and he was traded to the Cardinals at the deadline.
Jordan continued to play at AAA for the Cardinals, but he did not produce the same, as he hit .198 with a .242 OBP. However, he did add seven homeruns and 37 RBIs. In total for 2025, Jordan hit .270 with a .331 OBP, adding 19 homers and 99 RBIs. That is a pretty solid season for a 22 year old in AAA.
Jordan has a ton of power and has a pretty good strikeout to walk ratio, which is something that White Sox GM covets. He should be a player the White Sox look into drafting, as he could be an elite power hitter in the middle of the order if everything goes to plan. There aren't many prospects with a power profile like Jordan, and they certainly aren't in the Rule-5 draft. The White Sox should definitely consider Jordan in the Rule-5 draft with the second overall pick.
