Travis Bazzana, the Cleveland Guardians' No. 1 overall draft pick, recorded the first home run of his professional baseball career yesterday when he drove a ball over the right-field fence for a grand slam while playing for the Lake County Captains, the Guardians' High-A affiliate.
On July 14, the Guardians drafted Bazzana with the first overall pick, making him the first second baseman or Australian to ever go No. 1. Shortly after signing his rookie contract, Bazzana got started in Minor League Baseball with the Captains, and in his first home game against the Beloit Sky Carp, he went yard in the biggest way possible. After the game, Bazzana spoke to The News-Herald about the moment.
“I put a good swing on it, but I honestly didn't know if it would go,” he said. “I'm just getting used to the ballpark. But a little bit toward the end of my at-bat, I thought it had a chance but I wasn't 100 percent sure.”
Guardians' Travis Bazzana becomes first Australian No. 1 overall draft pick
Travis Bazzana was born in Sydney, Australia, an atypical place for a top MLB prospect. Despite baseball being solidly behind sports such as cricket, Bazzana remained determined to reach the majors. Unlike many others, though, he decided to attend college in the United States instead of signing a contract with a club.
“It becomes tough to actively see yourself pursuing Major League Baseball because you're not seeing it, your friends aren't talking about it,” Bazzana said (h/t MLB.com). “There's not that external motivation unless you find it, really, internally.”
The gamble some thought he was taking by choosing Oregon State and college baseball paid off; Bazzana hit 17 home runs and 99 RBIs over two seasons with the Beavers before being selected by the Cleveland Guardians with the first overall pick in July's MLB Draft.
Just a few days after being drafted, Bazzana signed a contract with an $8.95 million signing bonus with the Guardians, setting him up to make his pro debut a little over a week after the draft. Bazzana has played three games for the Lake County Captains, with whom he is 3-for-11 (.364 AVG) and has recorded one home run, 5 RBIs, and 5 runs.
While it will likely be a while until Bazzana reaches the MLB level with the Guardians, he hopes, as the first Australian top pick in MLB Draft history, to kickstart a movement in his home country.
“The premise of everything I want to achieve is I want to make Australia a powerhouse in baseball,” Bazzana said (h/t MLB.com). “It's not going to come from me, but I want to start that trend.”
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