The Minnesota Twins have had high hopes for Jordan Balazovic ever since his 5th-round selection in the 2016 MLB Draft. His minor league success and makeup put him on the national radar as a prospect. Unfortunately, like many Twins prospects, injuries have slowed down his progression.
According to Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com, Balazovic enters 2023 camp with yet another setback:
Twins pitching prospect Jordan Balazovic was struck in the jaw in an altercation last Saturday night, suffered a broken jaw, and underwent surgery to get it wired shut.
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) February 18, 2023
He will be tracking behind this spring, which will be a very important one given his ‘22 season.
Details regarding the altercation and his timetable for return are unknown at this time. Regardless, Balazovic simply cannot afford another disappointing season following a sub-par 2022 season.
In 21 starts across 70.2 innings for the AAA St. Paul Saints, Balazovic struggled mightily to the tune of a 0-7 record with a 7.39 ERA, 1.939 WHIP, 35 walks, and 21 home runs allowed.
However, there's a reason the Twins still believe in their 16th-ranked prospect. He has shown top of the rotation potential throughout his minor league career. In 2019 with Cedar Rapids (A) and Ft. Myers (A+), Balazovic sported a 2.69 ERA, 0.982 WHIP, and 12.4 K/9 in 92.2 innings.
Jordan Balazovic is now making his #MNTwins debut.
— Twins Gems (@TwinsGems) March 11, 2021
MLB Pipeline ranks
⚾️97th best prospect in MLB
⚾️26th best RHP prospect in MLB
⚾️4th best Twins prospect
⚾️Best Twins RHP prospect pic.twitter.com/UQ2L3j2rqy
As with many Twins players and prospects, the Twins top brass would love to see a healthy Jordan Balazovic this season to gain clarity for the future. Alas, that desire has gotten off to a rocky start early in 2023.