Proper-hander Jordan Balazovic has signed with the Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Group, in keeping with Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap Information. Balazovic had beforehand been pitching for the Twins on a minor league deal he signed again in February.
Balazovic, 25, was chosen by Minnesota within the fifth spherical of the 2016 draft and has spent his whole skilled profession with Minnesota thus far. The appropriate-hander posted huge numbers within the decrease minors early in his profession, together with a 2.69 ERA with a 33.9% strikeout charge in 93 2/3 innings of labor cut up between the Single-A and Excessive-A ranges again in 2019. That was sufficient to get the Ontario native some consideration on top-100 prospect lists, and his respectable 3.62 ERA in 20 begins as a 22-year-old on the Double-A stage did little to dissuade that.
Sadly, the wheels got here off from Balazovic a bit from there. Since being promoted to the Triple-A stage to open the 2022 marketing campaign, the righty has struggled mightily on the stage with a 6.35 ERA with an 11.5% stroll charge in opposition to a 25% strikeout charge in 68 appearances on the stage. A tough 2022 season noticed the teen transfer to the bullpen in 2023 and, whereas he made his huge league debut with the Twins final 12 months and posted a 4.44 ERA in 24 1/3 innings of labor, that didn’t assist him together with his management as he walked 15.2% of batters confronted in Triple-A final 12 months. These struggles led the Twins to designate him for task this previous winter, although he re-upped with Minnesota on that aforementioned minor league pact and returned to Triple-A with the membership to begin the season.
Balazovic’s outcomes have as soon as once more left one thing to be desired as he’s posted a 5.60 ERA in 35 1/3 innings of labor this season. These numbers conceal the truth that Balazovic has seemed tremendously improved by way of underlying efficiency, nonetheless. He’s struck out 30.1% of batters confronted this 12 months, the primary time he’s punched out 30% of extra of his opponents in half a decade. He’s paired that with an elevated however manageable 9.2% stroll charge, and he’s even posted a formidable 56.2% groundball charge. That’s left him with robust peripherals, together with a 3.21 FIP and three.18 xFIP, however his outcomes have been skewed by an elevated .368 BABIP allowed and a surprisingly low 58.2% strand charge.
Doosan has clearly seemed previous Balazovic’s shaky outcomes and is hoping that these robust peripherals in Triple-A this 12 months can translate to success abroad. The appropriate-hander now figures to move to Korea in hopes of discovering success there and, maybe, ultimately establishing himself sufficient to get one other crack on the huge leagues sooner or later sooner or later. KBO groups are solely allowed to hold a most of two foreign-born pitchers on their rosters, and to make room for Balazovic on the roster Yoo notes that the membership parted methods with right-hander Raul Alcantara. Alcantara, 31, pitched for the A’s within the majors in 2016 and ’17 and posted a 4.76 ERA in 12 begins with Doosan this 12 months.
