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In the hours approaching the beginning of the 2024 MLB Draft, speculation still surrounded the No. 1 overall pick. No draft “expert” or baseball insider knew with certainty who the Cleveland Guardians would select. As it turns out, even members of the Guardians' front office didn’t know what name they were going to give commissioner Rob Manfred.
Alas, just after 6 p.m. local time in Fort Worth, Texas, Manfred announced Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana as the first pick. Bazzana and the Guardians made history, as the Australian-born 21-year-old became the first primary second baseman to be selected with the first overall pick in the MLB Draft.
Several prospects were worthy of being the No. 1 pick, but Bazzana and the Guardians make too much sense. Already described as the perfect player-team match, Cleveland is excited about Bazzana's potential.
“We view him to be a dynamic player,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said, per ESPN. “He's a guy who makes really good swing decisions, controls the strike zone really well, rarely swings and misses, and can really impact the baseball. We think he has a chance to impact the game in a variety of ways.”
The Guardians might have hit the jackpot in 2024. It's rare for the team picking first in the draft to be in first place. Not only are the Guardians in first place, they have the best record in the American League at the All-Star break.
If Bazzana turns into an All-Star or even a solid everyday player, 2024 could go down as one of the most memorable years in Guardians franchise history.
Travis Bazzana ‘stoked' to be Guardians player
Travis Bazzana's baseball journey to the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft is unusual. He played his first professional game at 15 in the Australian Baseball League, appearing in 19 games across three seasons.
Offered a contract by the Detroit Tigers at 16 years old, Bazzana gambled on himself and sharpened his skills at the NCAA Division I level. He was a star at Oregon State and his move to the United States paid off by being the No. 1 pick alone. A successful MLB career after this would only sweeten the pot for Bazzana.
Like any player who believes he's good enough to be drafted, Bazzana dreamed of being selected first overall. It became more of a reality, in his mind and that of MLB scouts, over the 12 months leading up to Sunday's first round.
“I never really knew if [No. 1] was possible, and at least a couple years ago I didn't really think that that was going to be in the picture,” Bazzana said. “It probably only came into the picture upon the Cape Cod [League] last year. I just tried to go out and have a great year. This was a byproduct of it. I'm just stoked right now.”
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Bazzana's breakout junior campaign with the Beavers vaulted him into the No. 1 pick stratosphere. Sure the Guardians looked his way to save some money for their later selections (Cleveland owned three of the first 48 picks), but Bazzana has top prospect potential and could be on a fast track to the big leagues.
Not only is he a talented ballplayer, but Bazzana is also a baseball fan. He spoke glowingly about the Guardians and his joy in joining the organization.
“They’re young. They play the game with fire,” Bazzana said, per MLB.com's Mandy Bell. “A lot of these things tick boxes in my head and make me really excited to be a Guardian.”
Bazzana's player profile
Bazzana is a strong contact hitter with incredible plate discipline. He walked 76 times in 60 games this spring, hitting over .400 with 28 home runs and only 37 strikeouts.
His 2024 season was tremendous and saw him finish as a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player in the country. Despite a 1.479 OPS and more extra-base hits than strikeouts, Bazzana lost the award to Georgia's Charlie Condon, another candidate to be the first overall pick.
Bazzana is a solid baserunner as well. He stole 66 bases in three seasons at Oregon State, including 36 as a sophomore in 2023. He projects as average defensively at second base. With reigning Platinum Glove Award winner Andres Gimenez currently manning the position for the Guardians, it might not be Bazzana's future home.
Once Travis Bazzana hits the majors, it will be Saturday morning baseball rather than cartoons for hundreds of households in Sydney. He could be there before the end of the 2025 season.
