Levi Jordan Off To Hot Start In Louisville Debut

Levi Jordan was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 29th round of the 2018 draft and spent the first six years of his career with the organization. He had stints with the South Bend Cubs, Myrtle Beach Pelicans and Tennessee Smokies, but spent most of his time playing at the Triple-A level with the Iowa Cubs, appearing in 145 games.

In 2023, he spent 45 games with the Smokies and 22 games with the I-Cubs where he batted .219 with two home runs, 28 RBI and 41 walks. This season with the Louisville Bats marks his first with a new organization after he was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the Rule 5 Draft during the offseason.

When asked what it's like playing for a new organization for the first time he said, “I get that question a lot from teammates and I tell them that I hope everybody gets the chance to be part of multiple organizations. I say that because until you spend time in a new organization, you don't realize what's good or bad about the previous organization you're with.”

As he was playing with the I-Cubs last year, Jordan said that his favorite road trip to make was to Louisville because of how much he enjoyed the field, city and weather. He believes that this made the move to the city easier as well as how accommodating the organization has been to his needs.

“I have nothing but good things to say about the Cubs organization, but the Reds organization does things differently,” he said. “I think each organization has their own unique style and way to develop baseball players and build relationships with players. And so far, my time with the Reds, even though it's only been a couple of months, has been nothing but good things.”

A new team can come with a lot of opportunities and challenges, but Jordan has had the benefit of a few familiar faces. Both P.J. Higgins and Edwin Rios played with him in the Cubs organization last year and he said that having their presence in the clubhouse made it an easier transition to the Bats.

A third of the way into the season, Jordan is off to the best start of his career, hitting .333 (37-for-111) with four home runs, 15 RBI, a .417 on-base percentage, and .486 slugging percentage. He is the Bats team leader in batting average and on-base percentage.

“Levi for me has always been a good player,” said Bats manager Pat Kelly. “I managed against him when he was in Knoxville and Des Moines. His biggest thing is he got labeled as a utility guy and didn’t get to play every day. He’s getting more of an opportunity to get regular at-bats now and his abilities are showing. I think he’s going to surprise everyone and end up in the big leagues.”

A huge part of his success has been his ability to stay focused on the things he has control of. Something he is proud to take charge of is being a good teammate both on and off the field.

“Even though I don't have Major League time or experience, there are a few younger kids who this is their first time in Triple-A. There are some things that I can share with them that might allow them to blossom into a more mature baseball player,” Jordan said. “It's such a long season and there's so many games and so many different parts of this whole experience that you need somebody to talk to get through those things.”

His approach on the field has been to produce quality at-bats every game and be a reliable asset for the team. Not only does he go out to compete every plate appearance, but he also works to be productive defensively and able to play as many positions as possible for Kelly.

When asked what his goal was for the 2024 season, the answer brought a smile to his face, “To break through and play in the Major Leagues. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid.”

There is a lot of veteran leadership on this team regarding players who have had Major League experience. Jordan described what these players had taught him in one word, patience.

“Part of being at this level is understanding that a lot of times you can play well, but it's the timing of the moves happening in the big leagues. I also just need to stay ready and stay present,” he said. “I've been working on gratitude and being thankful for where I'm at currently and not looking ahead or in the past.”

For now, Jordan is thankful to be in Louisville, playing everyday for a Bats team that is one of the hottest in the International League, with his goal of reaching the big leagues firmly within his reach.