Bryan Balzer is arguably essentially the most intriguing prospect within the San Diego Padres system. At the moment ranked eighth with a 40 FV, the 21-year-old right-hander had nearly no pitching expertise when he entered professional ball in 2023. Furthermore, he blew out his elbow and had Tommy John surgical procedure following his lone activate the mound. That was at Joso Gakuin Excessive Faculty, roughly an hour northeast of Tokyo.
His present season has been considerably of a blended bag. Between Low-A Lake Elsinore (60 1/3 innings) and Excessive-A Fort Wayne (32), he has a document of 6-2 to go along with a 4.58 ERA, a 5.17 FIP, and a 23.4% strikeout charge. However whereas at instances he’s been all too hittable, he has additionally proven flashes of high-ceiling potential. After I noticed him toe the rubber for Fort Wayne in mid-July, Balzer fanned eight batters — together with Tigers high prospect Bryce Rainer with two out and the bases juiced — whereas holding West Michigan to at least one run over 5 frames. A day prior, I requested him about his determination to signal with the Padres reasonably than becoming a member of one other MLB group or staying dwelling to pitch in NPB.
“My objective was to be knowledgeable baseball participant; I didn’t care if was Japan or America,” replied the Yokosuka native. “However I grew up watching Yu Darvish and needed to be on his crew.”
Balzer, who was largely raised in Nippon however spent just a few years stateside whereas in grade faculty, went on to say that his determination was additionally influenced by his Tommy John surgical procedure; the Padres expressed much less involved than different MLB groups about his having gone beneath the knife. As for the NPB groups he might need landed with — this through the league’s draft course of — the Hanshin Tigers had been the primary to have a scout method him after his lone pitching look. When it comes to general curiosity, he recollects the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants having been “the principle ones.”
The extent to which he now follows NPB — and even MLB — is proscribed. Requested how carefully he retains tabs on Japan’s high league, Balzer recommended that there’s extra to life than his chosen livelihood. As he put it, “After I’m executed with my baseball work, I don’t wish to go dwelling and watch baseball. Actually, I’m simply taking part in. If I’m watching day-after-day, that’s an excessive amount of baseball.”
And once more, the baseball he performed whereas rising up in Japan wasn’t from atop a clump of grime 60 toes, 6 inches away from dwelling plate. His transfer from the infield to the mound got here by probability.
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“We had a apply sport and didn’t have any extra pitchers,” defined Balzer, who was on the time stationed at first base. “I mentioned, ‘I’ll go on the market and pitch.’ Why not? It was solely a apply sport. That was my first time pitching in my whole life, and I used to be throwing 94-96 [mph] that inning. I don’t know why, however I did it. And I acquired harm. I used to be throwing too quick and my UCL couldn’t take it. It simply acquired destroyed.”
Thanks partly to Frank Jobe and Tommy John — you’ve most likely heard of them — Balzer isn’t merely again on the mound: He’s throwing even more durable. The righty defined that he has reached triple digits in every of the previous two seasons.
Per Eric Longenhagen, who just lately supplied me with an up to date scouting profile, Balzer has been sitting 93-97 and touching 99. Our lead prospect analyst did add a regarding caveat, saying that Balzer’s heater “performs down from a bat-missing standpoint.” Even so, Longenhagen likes “the athlete and arm power.” In an earlier report, he acknowledged that these qualities “counsel he’s a giant leaguer in some type.”
The quickest of Balzer’s bullets come from totally different grips. He’s now throwing each two- and four-seam fastballs, the latter of which he feels is the higher of the 2, because it “strikes extra and is simply as quick.” The opposite pitches in his arsenal are a a cutter, a splitter, and a sweeper. The final of these was realized from Darvish, with whom he has had an appreciative alternative to speak store — “and typically nearly life” — throughout latest spring trainings.
What does Balzer contemplate to be his greatest pitch?
“Possibly my sweeper,” the assured teenager mentioned. “However every little thing is my greatest pitch.”
