THUNDER BAY – Even on an off night, Jordan Bach finds a way to be productive.
Take Saturday night for example.
The Vancouver native was hitless in his first four at bats, but given a fifth chance, he lashed an RBI single to left, extending his hitting streak to seven games.
Despite going 1-for-6 on the night, the jack-of-all trades, who has played the outfield, catcher and designated hitter so far in 2025, was still hitting .411, with five home runs and 27 RBIs.
Amazingly, that leaves him third on the Thunder Bay Border Cats in hitting, behind Greg LaChance, second in the Northwoods League at .431, and Lucas Johnson, third in the league with an equally gaudy .419 batting average.
For context, the last major league hitter to top .400 in a season was Ted Williams, back in 1941.
It’s Bach who is drawing the attention of opposing hitters and announcers, and how could they ignore the newly committed University of Kansas prospect?
Over a recent six-game stretch, Bach went 18-for-27, with three home runs, three doubles and 19 RBIs.
Aaron Judge would be proud – though it’s light-hitting former Blue Jay Ryan Goins who the recently turned 22-year-old looked up to growing up.
“When things are going well, it definitely kind of looks like a beach ball up there, for sure. It’s just about trying to stay hot, trying to keep doing your process, keep doing your same approach,” Bach said. “For sure, it’s been looking big.”
Bach’s manager, Joe Ellison, called him a special hitter.
Even after leaving for two games to officially sign with the Jayhawks, Bach jumped back in the lineup on Thursday night and was all but unstoppable.
“He’s patient. He waits for his pitching and he doesn’t miss. Even when he’s getting out, it’s a productive out. He had a sac fly tonight and he found the barrel in his other out,” Ellison said. “He’s on fire. Even the Waterloo guys were talking to me, saying, ‘I don’t even know why we pitch to this guy.’”
The goal of the Northwoods League is player development, to give college players a chance to take their game to the next level and see if they can hack life in the pros. Ultimately, it’s been a stepping stone to the Major Leagues for nearly 400 players – including 15 former Border Cats.
Going to Kansas definitely puts Bach in the conversation to play professionally, Ellison added.
“Hopefully it carries him far enough, but we’ll see,” said the first-year manager, not wanting to put too high of an expectation and the Canadian hopeful.
His teammates are also in awe.
Johnson said Bach is just a flat-out hitter.
“He’s just a baseball player. He can play all across the field. He’s a left-handed bat. He sees sliders hung, he mashes them. Fastballs, he mashes them. Anything that really comes his way, it’s a barrel. It’s a high-quality swing and usually typically a good outcome,” Johnson said.
Bach, who hit .299 as a junior at Southern Illinois University, is simply enjoying the ride, saying he wants to see how far the game can take him.
The big leagues would be a dream come true for the B.C. kid.
“Yeah, I’d love to go there. It’s been my dream since I was five years old to play major league baseball. So, I’m just going to try to do my best and hopefully get there one day.”
Bach and the Border Cats return home on Friday night after the conclusion of their current six-game road trip.
