Balazovic lands on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list

Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) is ranked No. 86 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list. Photo: Fort Myers Miracle

January 30, 2020

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) is ranked No. 86 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list.

The 21-year-old right-hander enjoyed a breakout season in 2019, posting a combined 8-5 record and a 2.69 ERA, while striking out 129 batters in 93 2/3 innings in 19 games between class-A and class-A Advanced in the Minnesota Twins organization.

For his efforts, Balazovic was selected to participate in the 2019 Futures Game and was also part of the pitching staff of the Canadian national team that won silver at the Pan Am Games in July. In December, he was named the Canadian Baseball Network’s minor league pitcher of the year.

Selected by Twins veteran scout Walt Burrows (Brentwood Bay, B.C.) in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, Balazovic has pitched parts of four seasons in the Twins organization.

The 6-foot-5 righty made four starts at class-A Cedar Rapids to begin the 2019 campaign, and posted a 2-1 record and a 2.18 ERA in 20 2/3 innings prior to be promoted to the class-A Advanced Fort Myers Miracle.

In the Florida State League, he registered six wins and posted a 2.84 ERA in 15 appearances - including 14 starts - and struck out 96 batters in 73 innings.

“Not only has Balazovic grown as a pitcher, he's literally grown, adding two inches and 45 pounds of good weight so that he's now a 6-foot-5, 215-pound specimen on the mound,” reads the MLB Pipeline report on Balazovic. “He's thrown consistently harder as he's progressed to the point where he was consistently in the 95-97 mph range with his fastball. It's a heavy sinking heater that elicits weak contact on the ground. His breaking ball can be a bit of a hybrid at times, but at its best, it's a hard slider that misses a ton of bats and flashes plus. He's worked very hard on his changeup and there's enough separation from his fastball that it's a third at least average offering.