Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | CLE | OF | 47 | 35 |
Grades Update: Nov 2020
| OFP | Role | Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 30 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 40 |
Nov 2020 Report
Evaluator: Justin Lada
Age: 27 yr
Height: 5-9
Weight: 190 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/R
Acquired: 2015 Draft - Round 5
RuleV: Eligible
Physical Description: Shot, compact frame. Ordinary build, but slightly stronger, bigger, especially in his lower half than the fourth outfield type his body and profile suggests.
Hit: Even stance and base. Starts with a vertical barrel. Uses moderate leg kick to turn his back and turn his front hip inward. Stays balanced and gets good hand/hip separation on his swing. Good use of hands. Average bat speed. Shows patience, knowledge of the strike zone and good pitch recognition. Can be beaten with good breaking stuff down and away. Handles left handers well. Some swing and miss concerns with a more aggressive leg kick. Grade: 40
Power: Good use of hips and shoulders to match the barrel with the plane of the pitch. Uses hips fairly well. Has pop to the opposite field. Just average bat speed overall. Can handle the fastball and drive it. Has made some adjustments to his lower half to unlock more power, but sustainability to facing upper level breaking stuff is a concern. Grade: 40
Field: Fearless defender. Does not have speed he did early in his pro career which impacts his range. Good effort. Average reads. Decent athleticism. Profiles best in left field. Can make the flashy play at times. Grade: 40
Arm: Left field type arm. Sound mechanics and positioning on throws. Not enough straight line carry on throws to profile well in centerfield or right field. Grade: 30
Run: 4.33 home-to-first as a left hander. Choppy runner without long strides with his shorter legs. Lower half has filled out more through his career. Runs less than he did early in his career but runs the bases well. Not much of a base stealing threat anymore. Grade: 40
Overall: Blaze Ka'ai Tom's profile was speed/hit over power when he was first drafted. There was talk of trying him at second base with his arm. Was a good and aggressive runner early in his career. Thicker lower half and change in approach and moved him to more of a fringe outfielder with interesting pop. There are some fourth outfielder type tools there with the ability to put up a quality at bat and some pop in it. Would profile better if he could regularly be an average defender at all three outfield spots but is best suited for left field. Most fourth/fifth outfield types have more defensive upside, where Tom's value lies more in his bat than it used to. He could put up solid offensive numbers off the bench if he were to climb his way into this role but the overall value is limited now as a prospect.
OFP: 35
Role: 30 - Up/Down Emergency Depth
Risk: Moderate
