The second installment of The Center Prong focuses on DH/1B Edgardo Jaso. Edgardo is wrapping up his 5th year of play in the EBA, and having passed 4 years of service time this season, he is now eligible for the Rule 6 Draft. So, while we are not sure if he will be taken in the draft this offseason, we figure it's about time to pay tribute to this outstanding hitter.
Born 15 March, 1996 in Hialeah, FL, Edgardo spoke not only English, but Spanish as well; in fact, 92% of Hialeah speaks Spanish. The city name is of Muskogee origin and combines the words for "pretty" and "parie." While it is the 5th largest city in the state of Florida, the approximately 200.000 residents are strong supporters of local business. Edgardo recalls fondly his days growing up in the back room of his parents small book store. He also worked for locally owned supermarket Sedano's, first as a butcher and then managing the meat department. This experience certainly contributed to his otherworldly power as well as his natural leadership abilities.
The 29 year old possesses ratings of 6/6/10/3/5, and while the eye is less that desirable, the power is absolutely unquestioned. Jaso is a three time EBA All-Star and 2 time Brad Sharples Platinum Stick winner at 1B. He was drafted out of high school in the 8th round by the Greenville Moonshiners and his ratings at the time (5/6/3 potential) did not quite forecast his future EBA stardom. After being drafted, he played 4 slightly above average seasons in Rookie and A ball for Greenville before his release in May 2018. He then signed as a minor league free agent with the New Orleans Crawdads where he played two above average seasons in AA. There was just not enough there for the MBBA clubs, and in May 2021 he signed on with the Amsterdam Neptunes. Jaso appeared in 101 games in his EBA rookie season winning two Rookie of the Week Awards and one Rookie of the Month award in August of that year.
Not content with his performance in his first EBA season, Jaso returned to Hialeah in the offseason, spending time back in Sedano's butcher shop and hitting the gym hard. When he reported for spring training in 2022, it would have been an understatement to say that he was in the Best Shape of His Life as his power rating skyrocketed to 9. He was certainly no slouch in the power department in 2012 with 17 HR in 401 AB, but 2022 was absolutely a breakout season. He hit 39 home runs in 670 AB and posted a .260/.285/.479 triple slash. His OBP was far from impressive and surely contributed to his 0.3 WAR and 96 wRC+ (also his -1.8 Zone Rating at 1B didn't help) but this was just the beginning of his EBA dominance.
In 2023, Jaso played in 159 games...it would have been 162 were in not for a two game suspension due to his participation in a brawl. In his 651 AB that season he hit an EBA record 54 HR with a much improved .295/.332/.591 line with 4.5 WAR and a 142 wRC+. It took a .299/.369/.553 38 HR 7.5 WAR season from Alfredo 'Savage' Salazar to keep him from winning the Jean-Marc Fraysse Batter award. This record-setting season netted Jaso a 1-year contract extension worth $2.080.000 with Amsterdam. He justified this significant contract with a 2024 season that was nearly as good when he hit 45 HR in 161 games posting a .300/.3737/.562 line good for 3.9 WAR and a 138 wRC+.
As the 2025 season winds down, Jaso has hit merely 47 HR in 629 AB with a .285/.323/.552 line. Given the advances in his power and contact since he was last in the MBBA, the 29 year old right handed batter may yet have success across the pond. He's no savage like Salazar, but could prove to be a useful DH to a team in need. He has expressed a desire to play close to home, but says that he is forever grateful to the Amsterdam organization and would be thrilled to continue his career here if he is not selected in the upcoming Rule 6 draft.
