Elliott: Balazovic blazing a trail among Twins prospects

Ontario Blue Jays’ grad RHP Jordan Balazovic (Mississauaga, Ont.) is ranked the third best prospect in the Minnesota Twins organization.

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

When the 2016 draft took place Jordan Balazovic was the fifth Canadian selected overall.

RHP Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) was selected from the Ontario Blue Jays by Minnesota Twins veteran scout Walt Burrows (Brentwood Bay, BC). He was the top high school pitcher chosen that June.

Burrows signed Balazovic to a contract with a $515,000 US signing bonus, above the suggested slot of $357,800.

The first four Canucks in 2016 were: RHP Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) from the Stanford Cardinals, who went eighth overall to the San Diego Padres, C Andrew Yerzy (North York, Ont.) chosen in the second round from the Toronto Mets by the Arizona Diamondbacks, RHP Curtis Taylor (Port Coquitlam, BC) from the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the fourth, also to the Diamondbacks and INF Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.) of the Pitt Panthers, who also went in the fourth to the Texas Rangers.

With the class-A Cedar Rapids Kernels in his second full season, Balazovic went 7-3 with a 3.94 ERA in 12 games, making 11 starts. On the season he walked 18 and fanned 78 in 61 2/3 innings.

Balazovic is ranked as the Twins third best prospect by ESPN’s Keith Law and the 102nd overall prospect.

Law pointed out there are things to love about Balazovic. How, despite being drafted in 2016, he will be 20 years old for the entirety of his 2019 season (with a Sept. 17th birthday). He is a 6-foot-4 righty with some projection remaining and can add muscle to his frame. Law said Balazovic maintained his velocity around 94 mph.

Law, a former executive with the Blue Jays under GM J.P. Ricciardi, considers Balazovic to have shown plus command in 2018 and also thinks Balazovic’s slider could be a plus pitch (60 grade) in the future to go along with a decent curveball and change. He ranks the Twins as the fourth best minor-league system in baseball.

His grandfather Joe Balazovic (Tyrone, Ont.) played two seasons in the Cleveland Indians system. An OF, he was with the class-C Fargo-Moorhead Twins in 1957, where he hit .237 with 19 doubles, four triples, four homers and 34 RBIs in 102 games and the next year with the class-B Burlington Indians he hit .241 with four doubles, two homers and 14 RBIs in 14 games.

The 5-foot-11, 186-pound, then 22-year-old Balazovic hit the first pitch of the season for a home run at Burlington. He was the first Canadian to play for the N.C. club since OF Don McLean was with 1951 Burlington Bees. McLean played six years in the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates systems.