Another blurb on Sox prospect at Arizona Fall League written by Chris Clegg. Not familiar with Gladney, and he’s not on Sox top 30 prospect list (MLB.com). Turns out he’s a local guy who was drafted out of Iliana Christian in 16th round by Sox in 2019.
DJ Gladney, OF, CHW, 23
Gladney is an exciting player that I have liked since I first saw him live in 2023. Built like an NFL wide receiver, Gladney stands at 6’2”/195 has has a ton of athleticism. This year between High-A and Double-A, Gladney slashed .246/.303/.450 with 16 home runs and 38 extra base hits.
The power is off the charts, and that was on display on Saturday as Gladney smoked a home run at 117.2 mph and traveled 468 feet. Two more batted balls led to a single with a 107.4 mph exit velocity and a fly out to right-center that had a 99 mph exit velocity.
Gladney is aggressive and has shown plenty of swing-and-miss and chase, but when he connects, he does damage.