Prospect Retrospective: Jordan Balazovic

The Twins drafted Jordan Balazovic in the fifth round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of secondary school in Canada. Minnesota identified plenty of big-league talent in that draft, and Balazovic is the latest from that class to make his debut. Balazovic was seen as a projectable starter at the time of the draft because of his body type and pitch mix. Scouting high school players from cold weather climates can be challenging, but the Twins saw enough in Balazovic to sign him for $515,000. 

He spent his first two professional seasons pitching for the GCL Twins, making 18 appearances (72 1/3 innings). He posted a 3.61 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP and a 45-to-25 strikeout-to-walk ratio. During the 2016 season, he never faced a batter younger than himself, and he faced older batters in 80% of his plate appearances in 2017. While his numbers don’t stand out, he added strength to his frame to help him move up the organizational ladder.  

Balazovic got his first taste of full-season ball during the 2018 season when the Twins assigned him to Cedar Rapids, the organization’s Low-A affiliate at the time. He made 12 appearances (11 starts) and posted a 3.94 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP in 61 2/3 innings. His most significant improvement was in his strikeout rate. He posted a 5.6 K/9 in the rookie leagues, but that total jumped to 11.4 K/9 in his first season with the Kernels. He also continued to be young for the level, as he was 2.4 years younger than the average age of the competition in the Midwest League. 

In the 2019 season, Balazovic put himself on the prospect map, including being named the Twins’ representative in the Futures Game. He began the year in Cedar Rapids and dominated hitters by limiting them to five earned runs in 20 2/3 innings with 14.4 K/9. He continued his strong pitching performance after being promoted to High-A. In Fort Myers, he posted a 2.84 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP and 11.8 K/9 in 73 innings. Following the season, Baseball America and MLB Pipeline included him in the backend of their top-100 prospect lists. 

After the pandemic, the Twins added Balazovic to the 40-man roster and sent him to Double-A. His start to the 2021 season was delayed until June because of a back issue. Across 20 starts (97 innings), he combined for a 3.62 ERA with a 1.40 WHIP and 9.5 K/9. He allowed more hits per nine (9.1 H/9), his highest rate since rookie ball, but he was still young for his level, with nearly 82% of his plate appearances coming versus older batters. His fastball averaged 96 mph, and there was hope he’d still develop into a middle-of-the-rotation starter at the big-league level. 

Balazovic struggled with his on-field performance for the first time in his career during the 2022 season. A knee injury during the spring kept him from pitching until May. He never seemed to put it all together after the injury, but the team continued to use him regularly. With the Saints, he pitched 70 2/3 innings while allowing 58 earned runs (7.39 ERA) with a 1.94 WHIP. His average fastball velocity also dipped to 94 mph. During September, Balazovic had his best month of the season. He posted a 3.43 ERA in five starts with 30 strikeouts and ten walks in 21 innings. The Twins hoped it was a sign of bigger things to come for Balazovic in 2023. 

Entering this season, Balazovic reported early to Twins camp to get work in before the scheduled reporting date. However, his early arrival led to an altercation. On the evening before the players reported, he went to a local bar, and someone punched him in the face. He broke his jaw, requiring surgery and an overnight hospital stay. In interviews, he told reporters that he didn’t know the person and he didn’t throw a punch of his own. It was shaping up to be an important spring for Balazovic, and this incident put him behind at the season’s start.

The Twins were clearly frustrated with the Balazovic situation, making him the first cut during spring training. At Triple-A, he began the year as a reliever, with the team using him sparingly as a spot starter. In 35 2/3 innings, he posted a 4.79 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP and a 5.3 K/9. His performance wasn’t pushing him to the big-league level, but he was on the 40-man roster, and the Twins needed a reliever. Balazovic’s MLB debut showcased what he can do out of the bullpen with 3 2/3 scoreless innings while throwing a lot of strikes. 

It will be interesting to see how Balazovic adjusts to a bullpen role. He used his fastball and curveball over 32% of the time in his debut. His slider is another option, but he didn’t get a lot of swings and misses. It might be best for him to focus on those three pitches and ditch his changeup since that pitch gets hit the hardest. Few pitchers follow a linear development path, and Balazovic has dealt with some issues on the way to his debut. However, he can provide future value for the Twins.

How do you view Balazovic at this point in his career? What is his ceiling? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

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