Return to previous page

Travis Bazzana drafted No. 1 by Guardians in 2024 MLB Draft

Travis Bazzana drafted No. 1 by Guardians in 2024 MLB Draft
MLB

Travis Bazzana drafted No. 1 by Guardians in 2024 MLB Draft

/Posted by / 12 / 0


Travis Bazzana drafted No. 1 by Guardians in 2024 MLB Draft

nn”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”thumbnail_url”:null,”type”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”rich”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”**Plate discipline**nnBazzana had 180 walks to 146 strikeouts in his three collegiate seasons, including 76 walks this past year with just 37 strikeouts in 60 games. There’s nothing else we need to discuss here.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2024-07-14T23:16:53.465Z”,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({“preferredPlaybacks”:”mp4AvcPlayback”})”:”https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2024/2024-07/14/5fb84cee-ad5f9bf8-1fe9c8b6-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4″,”type”:”video”,”description”:”The Guardians select second baseman Travis Bazzana with the 1st pick of the 2024 Draft”,”displayAsVideoGif”:false,”duration”:”00:05:15″,”slug”:”draft-2024-guardians-select-2b-travis-bazzana-no-1″,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-draft”,”title”:”MLB Draft”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”vod”,”title”:”vod”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”send-to-news-mlb-feed”,”title”:”Send To News MLB feed”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-114″,”title”:”Cleveland Guardians”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:114″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-683953″,”title”:”Travis Bazzana”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:683953″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”imagen-feed”,”title”:”Imagen feed”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-network”,”title”:”MLB Network”,”type”:”taxonomy”}],”thumbnail”:{“__typename”:”Thumbnail”,”templateUrl”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/i3tksvbyp3cy7wcjgkea”},”title”:”Draft 2024: Guardians select 2B Travis Bazzana No. 1″,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/draft-2024-guardians-select-2b-travis-bazzana-no-1″},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”**Power potential**nnBazzana’s 45 homers in his three years with Oregon State are the most in school history. He had 28 in 60 games this past year.nnOnly one Australian-born player in MLB history has more than 30 home runs (Dave Nilsson, who hit 105 in his eight-year career), and according to Baseball Australia, only 38 Aussies have appeared in an MLB game. It seems safe to say that if all goes according to plan, Bazzana could etch his name in some history books.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”OEmbed”,”html”:”

Mood irl.

(📷: @BeaverAthletics)#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/CnkqwZBmQQ

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 15, 2024

nnn”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”thumbnail_url”:null,”type”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”rich”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”**Athleticism**nnThough he grew up in a country much more known for cricket, soccer and rugby — all of which Bazzana played at Turramurra High School, along with track and field and basketball — baseball was what he loved most, as he quickly took off as an elite prospect. Seeking the best competition, he played some games in the professional Australian Baseball League (ABL) against people twice his age while he was still in high school.nnBut clearly, the experience he had from playing other sports has helped him become such an athletic baseball player that the Guardians are confident he could move all over the diamond defensively, if they’d eventually choose to do so.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2024-04-15T19:29:00Z”,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({“preferredPlaybacks”:”mp4AvcPlayback”})”:”https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-12/07/b55ae2d9-695a0dc9-8e55ad5a-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4″,”type”:”video”,”description”:”Travis Bazzana, a second baseman from Oregon State, is expected to be a top pick in the 2024 MLB Draft”,”displayAsVideoGif”:false,”duration”:”00:00:46″,”slug”:”2024-draft-travis-bazzana-2b”,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”vod”,”title”:”vod”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-draft”,”title”:”MLB Draft”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-draft-lottery”,”title”:”MLB Draft Lottery”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-top-prospects”,”title”:”MLB Top Prospects”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-683953″,”title”:”Travis Bazzana”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:683953″},”type”:”player”}],”thumbnail”:{“__typename”:”Thumbnail”,”templateUrl”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/if1xdtzbcrvto8t2uvlc”},”title”:”2024 Draft: Travis Bazzana, 2B”,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/2024-draft-travis-bazzana-2b”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”**Grit**nnOver the last few years, each young prospect who made his Major League debut with the Guardians has had the same gritty style of play. They hustle. They embrace a small-ball approach. They have a never-say-die attitude. It’s exactly the type of team Bazzana wanted to join.nnBeyond the sheer numbers, what makes Bazzana “the most interesting man in college baseball” according to his agent, Chase Brewer, is his analytical mindset. For example, during his first year at OSU, he conducted research that showed that his chase rate was significantly higher in hitter-friendly counts, leading to his OBP jumping from .423 as a freshman to .500 as a sophomore.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”OEmbed”,”html”:”

Dude brings it all to the table, and we’ve got quite the appetite. 🍽️#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/TMZuw7xpJG

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 14, 2024

nnn”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”thumbnail_url”:null,”type”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”rich”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”In 2023, Bazzana delivered a 90-minute presentation to Oregon State’s pitchers on what pitches they should be throwing in certain situations. That same season, he reached out to conference rival Rodney Green of Cal for advice on his “walking leadoff” tactic — one which led to Bazzana finishing with a school-record 36 steals in 2023.nn“I always was very competitive growing up,” Bazzana said. “I just always wanted to understand things a little bit deeper and never miss on having that edge.””,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2024-07-15T04:44:08.451Z”,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({“preferredPlaybacks”:”mp4AvcPlayback”})”:”https://darkroom-clips.mlb.com/dca36270-c490-4537-bbc4-4686f8235ff3.mp4″,”type”:”video”,”description”:”Draft grades for Travis Bazzana”,”displayAsVideoGif”:true,”duration”:”00:00:11″,”slug”:”travis-bazzana-2024-draft-grades”,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”data-visualization”,”title”:”data visualization”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-draft”,”title”:”MLB Draft”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-683953″,”title”:”Travis Bazzana”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:683953″},”type”:”player”}],”thumbnail”:{“__typename”:”Thumbnail”,”templateUrl”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/sg58ka02fotwrajn6kun”},”title”:”Travis Bazzana 2024 Draft Grades”,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/travis-bazzana-2024-draft-grades”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”It’s a mindset he’s seen reflected in the Guardians’ organization. It’s a mindset this team clearly was attracted to. And now, the two are set to work together to make sure their first No. 1 overall pick is a success story.nn“They’re young. They play the game with fire,” Bazzana said. “A lot of these things tick boxes in my head and make me really excited to be a Guardian.””,”type”:”text”}],”relativeSiteUrl”:”/news/travis-bazzana-drafted-no-1-by-guardians-in-2024-mlb-draft”,”contentType”:”news”,”subHeadline”:null,”summary”:”If you’re trying to describe the type of hitter the Guardians prefer to have in their organization, you’ll probably think of a gritty, versatile player with elite contact ability, off-the-charts plate discipline and some potential for power.nThat’s why Travis Bazzana and Cleveland are a match made in heaven.”,”tagline({“formatString”:”none”})”:null,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”InternalTag”,”slug”:”storytype-article”,”title”:”Article”,”type”:”article”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-114″,”title”:”Cleveland Guardians”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:114″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-top-prospects”,”title”:”MLB Top Prospects”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-draft”,”title”:”MLB Draft”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”apple-news”,”title”:”Apple News”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-683953″,”title”:”Travis Bazzana”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:683953″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”ContributorTag”,”slug”:”mandy-bell”,”title”:”Mandy Bell”,”type”:”contributor”}],”type”:”story”,”thumbnail”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/z0yg1qxrqoackn6vy4bu”,”title”:”Travis Bazzana drafted No. 1 by Guardians in 2024 MLB Draft”},”webPropertiesCollection({“limit”:1,”locale”:”en-US”,”preview”:false,”where”:{“propertiesId”:”mlb-global-properties”}})”:{“__typename”:”CF_WebPropertiesCollection”,”items”:[{“__typename”:”CF_WebProperties”,”organismHeadlineFont”:null,”urlLogo”:null,”favicon”:null,”headerMastheadTagline”:null,”headerPrimaryLogo”:null,”headerMastheadTaglineContainerWidth”:”512px”,”headerMastheadTaglineContainerHeight”:”56px”,”organismLogoVersion”:”caplogo”,”organismLogoStyle”:”light”,”headerMastheadLogoVersion”:”cap”,”headerMastheadLogoStyle”:”dark”,”footerLogoVersion”:”primary”,”footerLogoStyle”:”dark”,”headlineTextTransform”:”none”,”headlineFontFamily”:null,”headlineFontFamilySizeMultiplier”:1,”articleVideoAutoPlay”:true,”articleVideoAutoPlaySound”:false}]},”paletteCollection({“limit”:1,”locale”:”en-US”,”preview”:false,”where”:{“paletteName_contains”:”mlb-base-palette”}})”:{“__typename”:”CF_PaletteCollection”,”items”:[{“__typename”:”CF_Palette”,”headerNavigationBackgroundColor”:”#041E42″,”headerNavigationTextColor”:”#ffffff”,”headerNavigationTextColorHover”:”#ffffff”,”headerNavigationBorderColor”:”#057AFF”,”headerMastheadBackgroundColor”:”#002D72″,”buttonSpotlightBackgroundColor”:”#333333″,”buttonSpotlightBackgroundColorHover”:”lighten”,”buttonSpotlightTextColor”:”#ffffff”,”buttonSpotlightTextColorHover”:”#ffffff”,”footerBackgroundColor”:”#333″,”footerBorderColor”:”#f3f3f3″,”footerLinkColorActive”:”#fff”,”footerLinkColor”:”#ffffff”,”footerLinkColorHover”:”#147CD1″,”footerTextColor”:”#d2d2d2″}]},”dictionarySetCollection({“locale”:”en-US”,”preview”:false,”where”:{“dictionaryTag_contains_all”:”mlb-news”}})”:{“__typename”:”CF_DictionarySetCollection”,”items”:[{“__typename”:”CF_DictionarySet”,”key”:”news_recommended”,”dictionaryValue”:”You may have missed…”},{“__typename”:”CF_DictionarySet”,”key”:”news_newsletter_placeholder”,”dictionaryValue”:”Enter your email”},{“__typename”:”CF_DictionarySet”,”key”:”news_newsletter_signup”,”dictionaryValue”:”Sign up”},{“__typename”:”CF_DictionarySet”,”key”:”news_newsletter_error”,”dictionaryValue”:”Something went wrong, please try again.”},{“__typename”:”CF_DictionarySet”,”key”:”news_newsletter_subscribed”,”dictionaryValue”:”This email has already been registered for this newsletter!”},{“__typename”:”CF_DictionarySet”,”key”:”news_did_you_like”,”dictionaryValue”:”Did you like this story?”},{“__typename”:”CF_DictionarySet”,”key”:”news_in_this_story”,”dictionaryValue”:”In this story:”},{“__typename”:”CF_DictionarySet”,”key”:”news_share”,”dictionaryValue”:”Share”},{“__typename”:”CF_DictionarySet”,”key”:”news_related”,”dictionaryValue”:”Related”}]},”newsArticleCollection({“locale”:”en-US”,”preview”:false,”where”:{“team”:{“teamId”:”mlb”}}})”:{“__typename”:”CF_NewsArticleCollection”,”items”:[{“__typename”:”CF_NewsArticle”,”articleVideoAutoPlay”:true,”articleVideoAutoPlaySound”:false,”fallbackThumbnail”:{“__typename”:”CF_Asset”,”url”:”https://images.ctfassets.net/iiozhi00a8lc/7rLiL2FzRtYvRA6WljKhNY/359c3d0e14e8deced16d006ecb2f4218/mlb_fallback_2.jpg”},”heightMinForSticky”:2500,”injectedContent”:null,”name”:”MLB”,”newsletters”:[“100000086″,”100000088″],”newsletterLogoOnDark”:{“__typename”:”CF_Asset”,”url”:”https://images.ctfassets.net/iiozhi00a8lc/1IIQFtfGyveEW6mWQHXQHB/09507accfb6041636e4403b0d3319637/BB-primary-logo-rgb-4000x.png”},”newsletterLogoOnLight”:{“__typename”:”CF_Asset”,”url”:”https://images.ctfassets.net/iiozhi00a8lc/1IIQFtfGyveEW6mWQHXQHB/09507accfb6041636e4403b0d3319637/BB-primary-logo-rgb-4000x.png”},”newsletterMessaging”:”Sign up to receive our weekly [Ben’s Biz newsletter](https://www.milb.com/fans/bensbiz) to stay updated on Minor League Baseball business and culture”,”newsletterSuccessMessage”:”Thank you for joining the Ben’s Biz newsletter. ${email} has successfully been added. nnVisit your [account profile](https://www.mlb.com/account “Account Profile”) to manage your subscriptions.”,”newsletterTitle”:”Get the latest from MiLB”,”stickyRelatedHeightDisplacement”:700,”tagPrefixPlayer”:”player”,”tagPrefixTeam”:null,”team”:{“__typename”:”CF_Team”,”teamId”:”mlb”,”name”:”MLB”,”teamNameDisplay”:”Major League Baseball”},”newsletters({“locale”:”en-US”})”:[“100000086″,”100000088”]}]},”newsArticleCollection({“locale”:”en-US”,”preview”:false,”where”:{“name”:”MASTER”}})”:{“__typename”:”CF_NewsArticleCollection”,”items”:[{“__typename”:”CF_NewsArticle”,”articleVideoAutoPlay”:true,”articleVideoAutoPlaySound”:false,”fallbackThumbnail”:{“__typename”:”CF_Asset”,”url”:”https://images.ctfassets.net/iiozhi00a8lc/7rLiL2FzRtYvRA6WljKhNY/359c3d0e14e8deced16d006ecb2f4218/mlb_fallback_2.jpg”},”heightMinForSticky”:2500,”injectedContent”:{“3”:{“type”:”ad”},”6″:{“type”:”related”},”8″:{“type”:”ad”},”10″:{“type”:”newsletter”},”paragraphWordCount”:50,”displayAdDelay”:30000},”name”:”MASTER”,”newsletters”:[“1026″,”43″],”newsletterLogoOnDark”:null,”newsletterLogoOnLight”:null,”newsletterMessaging”:”Sign up to receive our daily [Morning Lineup](https://www.mlb.com) to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball.”,”newsletterSuccessMessage”:”Thank you for joining the Morning Lineup newsletter. ${email} has successfully been added. nnVisit your [account profile](https://www.mlb.com/account “Account Profile”) to manage your subscriptions.”,”newsletterTitle”:”Get the Latest From MLB.”,”stickyRelatedHeightDisplacement”:700,”tagPrefixPlayer”:”player”,”tagPrefixTeam”:null,”team”:null}]}}}}
window.adobeAnalytics = {“reportingSuiteId”:”mlbglobal08,mlbcom08″,”linkInternalFilters”:”mlb”}
window.globalState = {“tracking_title”:”Major League Baseball”,”lang”:”en”}
window.appId = ”
/*–>*/

29 minutes ago

If you’re trying to describe the type of hitter the Guardians prefer to have in their organization, you’ll probably think of a gritty, versatile player with elite contact ability, off-the-charts plate discipline and some potential for power.

The Guardians selected the Oregon State second baseman with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft on Sunday. The selection marks two firsts — the first No. 1 pick in Cleveland’s franchise history and the first Australian-born player to be selected No. 1 overall.

“We view him to be a dynamic player,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. “We think he’s got a chance to impact the game in a variety of ways.”

The Guardians added to their Draft haul by selecting prep right-hander Braylon Doughty out of Chaparral High School (California) with the No. 36 overall pick in Competitive Balance Round A. They then took NC State catcher Jacob Cozart at No. 48 overall in the second round.

A 21-year-old native of Hornsby, Australia, Bazzana is a five-tool player and arguably the most talented prospect in this year’s Draft, befitting his status as MLB.com’s No. 1 Draft prospect. Here’s why the Guardians thought he was the perfect pick:

Bazzana was offered a contract by the Tigers at age 16, but he chose to bet on himself by taking the college route to boost his stock. To say that gamble paid off would be an understatement.

In 2022, he was named a First Team Freshman All-American by the likes of Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), thanks to his .902 OPS. The next year, he hit a team-high .374 and was a Collegiate Baseball Second Team All-American.

Bazzana’s junior season was the best of all, as he finished with a preposterous .407/.568/.911 batting line, finishing second nationally in OPS behind Georgia’s Charlie Condon and being a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, which Condon won.

Bazzana had 180 walks to 146 strikeouts in his three collegiate seasons, including 76 walks this past year with just 37 strikeouts in 60 games. There’s nothing else we need to discuss here.

Bazzana’s 45 homers in his three years with Oregon State are the most in school history. He had 28 in 60 games this past year.

But clearly, the experience he had from playing other sports has helped him become such an athletic baseball player that the Guardians are confident he could move all over the diamond defensively, if they’d eventually choose to do so.

Over the last few years, each young prospect who made his Major League debut with the Guardians has had the same gritty style of play. They hustle. They embrace a small-ball approach. They have a never-say-die attitude. It’s exactly the type of team Bazzana wanted to join.

Beyond the sheer numbers, what makes Bazzana “the most interesting man in college baseball” according to his agent, Chase Brewer, is his analytical mindset. For example, during his first year at OSU, he conducted research that showed that his chase rate was significantly higher in hitter-friendly counts, leading to his OBP jumping from .423 as a freshman to .500 as a sophomore.

In 2023, Bazzana delivered a 90-minute presentation to Oregon State’s pitchers on what pitches they should be throwing in certain situations. That same season, he reached out to conference rival Rodney Green of Cal for advice on his “walking leadoff” tactic — one which led to Bazzana finishing with a school-record 36 steals in 2023.

“I always was very competitive growing up,” Bazzana said. “I just always wanted to understand things a little bit deeper and never miss on having that edge.”

It’s a mindset he’s seen reflected in the Guardians’ organization. It’s a mindset this team clearly was attracted to. And now, the two are set to work together to make sure their first No. 1 overall pick is a success story.

“They’re young. They play the game with fire,” Bazzana said. “A lot of these things tick boxes in my head and make me really excited to be a Guardian.”



About author

About Author

admin

Related posts

Add comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked

X