If you’re upset about Canadian wildfires ruining the air quality during Minnesota’s precious few summer months, I’ve got a scapegoat for you. Jordan Balazovic is throwing smoke. He has a 2.79 ERA (157 ERA+) in 19.1 innings pitched this year. His underlying numbers (5.18 FIP, 1.190 WHP) indicate he’s due for some regression. But the Minnesota Twins’ fifth-round pick in 2016 out of St. Martin Secondary School in Mississauga, Ont. torched the minor leagues during his meteoric ascent. Balazovic has an established track record of success.
He owned a 1.97 ERA in his first year of rookie ball. Balazovic was 17, over three-and-a-half years younger than his competition. Two years later, he had a combined 2.69 ERA between Single-A and High-A before COVID-19 shut down the minor leagues in 2020. Balazovic had a 3.62 ERA in Double-A Wichita in 2021. He made Sherman’s scorched earth strategy look like a controlled burn.
However, Balazovic suffered back and knee injuries last year. He had a 7.39 ERA in St. Paul, cooling off one step away from the majors. Still, he entered this season over three years younger than his Triple-A competition and made his major-league debut as a reliever on June 18. Balazovic had been a starter for most of his minor-league career. But Minnesota had limited starting opportunities, and the Twins wisely found a spot for him on the major-league roster.
Rocco Baldelli says Balazovic can pitch two or three innings per outing, a byproduct of his starting background.
He’s well-equipped to go out there and throw 40 pitches for us or something like that. That’s no issue for him whatsoever. I think his stuff’s, I mean, I haven’t gone and looked at it. I haven’t been told anything about it. But just judging with my eyes, I think he’s always looked good going out there for a second inning. Sometimes you might get a little better as the outing goes on.
Baldelli says he thinks Balazovic can throw 55 pitches in an outing. While Balazovic benefits from starting in the minor leagues, he said he’s made some adjustments to pitch effectively in relief. “Just having that routine, finding my routine out of the bullpen because I’ve always been used to starting,” he said. “The consistency and finding out what works for me and getting my body to respond the next day and recover and be ready for the next day.”
Interestingly, Balazovic has had more success out of the stretch this season. As a reliever, he doesn’t throw out of the full wind-up as often. He was pulling off from his frontside and was late with his arm. The 6’5”, 215 lbs. Balazovic has a large wingspan and must be on time and out in front to throw strikes. He primarily throws a fastball and curveball, so hitters can sit one of those pitches and crush it if Balazovic gets behind.
According to Baseball Savant, he predominantly throws a fastball (47%) and a curve (26%). But he mixes in a slider (18%) and a splitter (9%). However, he’d prefer to lean on his fastball and use his other pitches situationally.
For the most part, I’m a north-south guy, so I’m gonna go with my fastball-curveball. There are certain guys where I can obviously throw my splitter. But also, if I’m going one inning or whatever, you don’t always have to use all your pitches, right? If I could just pitch fastball and get three guys out, I’m gonna do that, right?
Still, his ability to throw four pitches allows him to pitch two or three innings at a time. Since he has pitched well in high-leverage situations, Balazovic is turning himself into a valuable, versatile reliever. The Twins can turn to him as a long reliever, but they can also use him in crucial situations.
He’s pitched better in high leverage than in medium leverage. In four high-leverage appearances, Balazovic has held opponents to a .222/.222/.556 batting average. Conversely, opponents have hit .353/.450/.412 against him in medium-leverage situations (eight games). Still, he’s held opponents to a .159/.240/.318 average in nine low-leverage games, meaning the Baldelli can use Balazovic for a single, high-leverage inning and in long relief.
“He’s done a pretty good job,” said Baldelli. “I like matching him up against certain runs late in the game. If he’s a good matchup, and maybe one of our other guys is down or basically down, we’ll go to him. We’ll go to him to go face three out of four righties or something like that and not hesitate to do that.
“And then we can also bring him in in a different kinda game, and he can go 50 pitches. So having a versatile guy like that is very helpful.”
The Twins have had success drafting Canadians in the past. Justin Morneau and Corey Koskie are franchise legends. Edouard Julien is a rising star. Still, we shouldn’t overlook Balazovic’s impact. He may not end up starting in Minnesota. But he’s become a valuable pitcher in a bullpen that needs a reliever like him. Balazovic is throwing smoke, but the kind that allows his coaches and teammates to take a deep breath and relax.
