Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Signed in January 2021 for $100,000, Balcazar started making a real name for himself when he came to the United States in 2022 and slashed .322/.411/.476 in the Arizona Complex League, finishing in the top 10 in average, on-base percentage and OPS. He was off to a similar start in his full-season debut in 2023, but a torn ACL ended his year after 18 games. The Reds felt confident enough in his abilities to move him up to High-A Dayton in 2024 despite the layoff, and he shook off a rough start to finish well, highlighted by a .900 OPS in August.

The Reds were very pleased with how Balcazar was able to put the knee injury behind him and rediscover what makes him a successful hitter. He’s at his best when he keeps his line-drive approach and sends balls to the gap. As he showed with his red-hot August, the extra-base thump comes naturally because of his bat speed and compact strength. Balcazar admitted to trying to do too much to dig out of the early hole he created with his slow start, and once he settled down, he was much more productive and cut his strikeouts down, though there’s still work to be done on his overall approach.

Balcazar has played primarily at shortstop in his career, and he has good actions and enough arm for the premium position. While he worked tirelessly to come back from the knee issue, it does remain to be seen if he'll have the first-step quickness to stick there, and he’ll continue to get reps at second base so he’s comfortable on the right side of the infield as well.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Balcazar was one of eight international players who got a six figure or higher bonus from the Reds when the 2020-21 signing period opened in January 2021, getting $100,000. He showed some signs of his offensive game during his Dominican Summer League debut, but it was his first time in the United States that he really caught people’s attention, slashing .322/.411/.476 in the Arizona Complex League. It was more of the same when he moved up to the full-season Florida State League with an .897 OPS over his first 18 games before a torn ACL ended his season in 2023.

While Balcazar has a definite hit-over-power profile and isn’t the biggest guy in the world, there’s more than enough bat speed and some compact strength for him to tap into. He’s shown the ability to drive the ball to the gaps using a line-drive approach, and there could be a bit more impact to come as he worked hard in the weight room rehabbing his knee, though there is work to be done on his overall approach. He draws walks but toning down the strikeouts will be key.

Balcazar was moving around well after the surgery, which is a good sign because his agility is a major component of his value. The hope is that post-surgery, he’s still athletic enough to play shortstop, where he previously had shown solid actions and enough arm strength. His work ethic helped him through his rehab process and gives the Reds some confidence he can get back to being the intriguing middle-infield prospect he was before the injury.

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

The Reds were active during the 2020-21 international signing period, handing eight bonuses of six figures or higher, a class led by outfielders Marvin Valdez and Ariel Almonte, who received close to $2 million each. At the bottom end of that group of eight was Balcazar and his $100,000 bonus. After a relatively nondescript debut in the Dominican Summer League after signing, the infielder put his name on the prospect map with a strong showing in the Arizona Complex League, finishing in the Top 10 of the rookie circuit in batting average (.322), on-base percentage (.411) and OPS (.886). He was off to a good start during his full-season debut when a torn ACL ended his campaign in April.

There are some similarities between Balcazar and Carlos Jorge, a fellow member of that ’21 signing class, as Balcazar is also a small, compact and physical middle infielder. He’s a right-handed hitter who is hit over power with a line-drive approach at the plate. He has a good idea of what he’s doing at the plate, and while he’s not going to be a big home run hitter, he’s also not just going to slap the ball the other way, using his physicality to drive the ball to the gaps.

Balcazar’s athleticism plays well on the basepaths and on the defensive side of things, with enough range, arm and actions to give him a chance to play shortstop. He earns high marks for how hard he plays, and it could be fun to watch him and Jorge play up the middle and move up the organizational ladder together.

Awards

AFL Rising Stars

Year	Team
2025

ACL Player of the Week

Week	Team
07/03/2022

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	11/18/2025	Cincinnati Reds selected the contract of SS Leo Balcazar from Chattanooga Lookouts.
	11/08/2025	National League Fall Stars activated SS Leo Balcazar.
	09/10/2025	SS Leo Balcazar assigned to Peoria Javelinas.
	07/11/2025	SS Leo Balcazar assigned to Chattanooga Lookouts from Dayton Dragons.
	07/11/2025	Chattanooga Lookouts activated SS Leo Balcazar.
	03/06/2025	activated SS Leo Balcazar.
	02/22/2025	SS Leo Balcazar assigned to Cincinnati Reds.
	04/02/2024	SS Leonardo Balcazar assigned to Dayton Dragons from Daytona Tortugas.
	04/02/2024	Dayton Dragons activated SS Leo Balcazar.
	03/16/2024	SS Leonardo Balcazar assigned to Cincinnati Reds.
	11/06/2023	Daytona Tortugas activated SS Leonardo Balcazar.
	05/04/2023	SS Leonardo Balcazar roster status changed by Daytona Tortugas.
	05/04/2023	SS Leonardo Balcazar roster status changed by Daytona Tortugas.
	05/03/2023	Daytona Tortugas placed SS Leonardo Balcazar on the 7-day injured list retroactive to May 2, 2023. Right knee ACL tear.
	04/04/2023	SS Leonardo Balcazar assigned to Daytona Tortugas from ACL Reds.
	03/10/2023	SS Leonardo Balcazar and assigned to Cincinnati Reds.
	06/06/2022	SS Leonardo Balcazar assigned to ACL Reds.
	06/06/2022	ACL Reds activated SS Leonardo Balcazar.
	04/04/2022	SS Leonardo Balcazar and assigned to Cincinnati Reds.
	09/27/2021	DSL Reds activated SS Leonardo Balcazar from the 7-day injured list.
	08/26/2021	DSL Reds placed SS Leonardo Balcazar on the 7-day injured list.
	01/15/2021	Cincinnati Reds signed free agent SS Leonardo Balcazar to a minor league contract.
	01/15/2021	SS Leonardo Balcazar assigned to DSL Reds.