Australian Travis Bazzana Drafted No.1 by Cleveland Guardians

Australian Travis Bazzana was selected as the No.1 overall pick by the Cleveland Guardians in the MLB Draft. This significant achievement highlights Bazzana's exceptional talent and potential in baseball, marking a milestone in his career and promising a bright future with the Guardians.

For the first time ever, the Cleveland Guardians had the No.1 overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft. The team's president, Chris Antonetti, described it as an "extraordinary and exciting opportunity" to draft a potentially franchise-altering player.

That player turned out to be Australian Travis Bazzana, the Oregon State second baseman, whose name was called by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Monday morning.

“It means a lot. It is hard to put into words, but it means everything. I’m just stoked and really happy to be with the people I’m with right now,” Bazzana said during a live cross after his name was called.

“I see a lot of opportunity to make an impact on baseball players and people back home and hopefully change the narrative for baseball. I think the World Baseball Classic and the Olympics are something I want to see on the cards and hopefully we’ll compete there.

“But just giving belief to players back home that they can do great things in the U.S. and pursue a Major League dream, hopefully this is a step towards that.”

Chris Antonetti emphasized that Cleveland views Bazzana as a "dynamic player."

“We view him to be a dynamic player,” Antonetti said. “He’s a guy that makes really good swing decisions, controls strikes really well, rarely swings and misses, and can really impact the baseball. We think he’s got a chance to impact the game in a variety of ways.

“But as impressive as he is as an athlete and as a player, he’s just as impressive, if not more impressive, as a person. He has been relentless from, I think, the time he was three years old, taking advantage of every resource available to him to become the best baseball player he could possibly be.

“I think it’s a testament to his hard work and the support system that he’s had around him to be able to get to this point. I know when talking with Travis, he’s excited for the opportunity to join our organization. If you’ve heard him speak, he’s very passionate about the opportunity he has to help us win games and, through that platform, elevate baseball in Australia.”

Bazzana’s intangibles are off the charts. Picture: baseball.com.au In fact, Bazzana, who played for the Sydney Blue Sox between 2018 and 2020, already has plans to suit up in the Australian Baseball League once more during the offseason. The Guardians will have the final say on whether that happens, but it's just one way Bazzana hopes to help raise the profile of the sport back home and worldwide.

“He’s going to be the one driving that to the Guardians, that he wants to get at-bats in the offseason,” Andrew Riddell, National Player Development Manager at Baseball Australia, told foxsports.com.au.

“Travis is a big advocate for the Australian Baseball League and the opportunities it gave him as a 17-year-old. So I’m sure that he’ll be pushing to Cleveland that he wants to get more at-bats in for Sydney over the ABL season and keep getting his game time in and as much as he can back home.”

Only two Australians have made it to the big leagues after being selected in the draft: Josh Spence (ninth round in 2010 out of Arizona State) and Mark Ettles (33rd round, 1989, West Florida).

Craig Shipley was the first Australian to make it in the Majors in the modern era, playing for the Mets, Padres, Astros, and Angels in a career that spanned 11 seasons. David Nilsson, Grant Balfour, and Liam Hendriks are other notable Australians who have found success in the Majors, being the only Australians to have played in an MLB All-Star game.

Two of Bazzana’s mentors, Trent Oeltjen and Ryan Rowland-Smith, also broke into the major leagues. In total, 38 Australian players have made it to the Majors, with Bazzana on track to become the latest, although he will have to work his way through the minor leagues first.

But being taken first overall increases Bazzana’s chances of reaching the big leagues, speaking to Cleveland’s confidence in him as a prospect. Bazzana was widely viewed as having the highest floor in this draft, while his improved home run power in his final season at Oregon State showed he also has a significant ceiling.

MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, speaking to foxsports.com.au, noted that Bazzana’s hit tool and ability to play up the middle were two of the “biggest factors” in teams falling in love with him as a prospect.

“I do think people regard him as the best pure hitter in the draft in terms of hitting average, controlling the strike zone,” Callis said.

“And there aren’t that many players who are going to go in the upper half of this draft who are going to play up the middle. It’s lots of third basemen, first basemen, and corner outfielders.

“I don’t think he’s necessarily going to star at second base, but he can stay at second base. He’s fine at second base.”

This may prompt a conversation in Cleveland about where Bazzana fits into the team, given the Guardians already have Andres Gimenez at second base. However, there is flexibility to shift Gimenez to shortstop, and Bazzana could also move into the outfield if required.

WHAT ARE EXPERTS SAYING ABOUT THE PICK?

Former MLB player and ESPN analyst Eduardo Perez said, “Just think about this, you look at the Guardians line-up now. Let’s just put Travis in there. This is another lefty. He fits perfectly. Great eyes… steals bases. Cleveland Guardians all the way. This fits their mould.”

Former MLB player and ESPN analyst Kyle Peterson remarked, “Obviously the first native of Australia. That’s never happened before. It’s interesting, when you look at the history of baseball in Australia - all-time home run leader born in Australia? Dave Nilsson, hit 30 of them. Travis Bazzana has a chance to hit more than 30. He’s got a chance to be a star.”

ESPN MLB Draft expert Kiley McDaniel commented, “Bazzana is maybe the most polished hitter in the draft. He might be in the big leagues next year.”

Former MLB player and ESPN analyst Chris Burke added, “It’s really interesting. So, 76 walks. Like 76 walks is a 25% walk rate this year. Yet he still hit 28 homers and 48 extra-base hits. You could knock him and say, ‘Dude why aren’t you swinging more’? But when he swung the ball it was all-American damage. You know, Pac-12 player of the year. I’m going to watch if that swing rate goes up a little bit.”

Bazzana’s potential impact on the game is substantial, and his journey through the minors will be closely watched by baseball fans and experts alike. His success could inspire a new generation of Australian players to pursue their Major League dreams. As he prepares to join the Cleveland Guardians, the future looks bright for this dynamic and determined young athlete.

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Source: foxsports‍