GOODYEAR, Ariz. — What about Travis Bazzana?
“We need to see him play,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. “He needs to play, especially after you’ve had an injury-riddled season like he did (in 2025).”
Bazzana not only was Cleveland’s top pick in the 2024 draft, he was the No. 1 overall selection.
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With that, comes scrutiny from fans and the media.
With that also comes patience … as in almost none.
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That’s especially true after Nick Kurtz (No. 4 pick in the 2024 draft) hammered 36 homers with 86 RBI, batting .290 (1.002 OPS) for the A’s last season. He also was the American League Rookie of the Year. He did all that in only 117 MLB games.
A first baseman from Wake Forest, Kurtz had only 150 minor-league plate appearances before coming to the majors.
Some fans wonder, “Why isn’t Bazzana already in the majors?”
A few other hitters from that 2024 draft did reach the majors in 2025. Here’s a breakdown:
1. Jac Caglianone (No. 6) batted .157 (.532 OPS) for the Royals.
2. Christian Moore (No. 8) batted .198 (.655 OPS) for the Angels.
3. Cam Smith (No. 14) batted .236 (.671 OPS) for the Cubs.
Looking at the group, it’s safe to say they all could have used more time in the minors.
A rough start
The 23-year-old Bazzana split last season between Class AA Akron and Class AAA Columbus.
He opened the season with the Rubber Ducks, then suffered a right oblique strain on May 14 and missed two months.
When he returned to action on July 18, he batted .341 (.943 OPS) in the next three weeks. That led to a promotion to Columbus.
A month later, he had a second oblique strain, this one on his left side.
His 2025 season ended on Sept. 13 due to his oblique injury.
Overall, he batted .256 (.790 OPS) at Akron and .225 (.858 OPS) for Columbus.
“Any time you have an injury-riddled season like that, you learn some good lessons through it,” said Vogt. “Not necessarily about the injury, but about yourself.”
In 2025, Bazzana played only 84 games in the minors, hitting .245 (.813 OPS) with nine homers and 39 RBI. The second baseman draws a lot of walks, which is why he had a .424 on-base percentage.
Bazzana in college
Bazzana never experienced anything like 2025. He played for powerhouse Oregon State (Steven Kwan’s school) and left as the Beavers’ all-time leader in hits, doubles, homers, stolen bases and walks.
He was the Cape Cod League MVP in 2023, which is significant to scouts. Wooden bats are used in the Cape Cod summer league, just as they are in pro ball.
College players use metal bats, which can inflate batting averages and homers. Bazzana batted .375 (1.037 OPS) to win the Cape Cod League batting title.
I heard the Guardians were considering JJ Wetherholt, who was the No. 7 pick to St. Louis. The infielder batted a combined .306 (.931 OPS) with 17 homers and 59 RBI between Class AA and AAA in 2025. He has a good chance of making the Cardinals’ opening roster this season.
Part of the reason the Guardians drafted the 6-foot, 200-pound lefty hitter is not only his track record of success at the highest level of college baseball, but also his attitude.
“He’s one of our best coaches,” said Guardians assistant GM James Harris. “He happens to coach himself. He knows exactly what he does well. He knows what to work on. He motivates himself well and partners well with us.”
Harris mentioned how Bazzana is “dialed in on his nutrition” and also working on sleep patterns. He is almost obsessed with analytics, looking for every edge.
What should be done
My theory is Bazzana puts too much pressure on himself. He is very aware of being the No. 1 pick. That was evident when I interviewed him in 2024 when he was playing for Class A Lake County.
He wants to reward the Guardians for making him the No. 1 pick. He treasures his Australian background and wants to make his home country proud.
“He wants to be an every-day big-leaguer and win multiple championships,” said Harris. “Every night before he goes to bed, he thinks about what he can do better.”
Harris gushes about Bazzana’s dedication. The assistant GM said, “If you paid someone to follow him around to tell him what to do, the guy would soon be out of a job.”
The point is, Bazzana knows what is right and is already doing it when it comes to preparation, conditioning and overall work ethic.
It’s like his pro career can’t quite get started. He played only 24 games in 2024 at Lake County, hitting .238 (.765 OPS) because that came after the July draft.
Then it was 84 games last season for two teams (along with two oblique injuries).
This spring, he left training camp for a few weeks to play for Australia in the World Baseball Classic. This was special for him. Bazzana hit a dramatic home run in one of the games.
Bazzana is 2-for-10 this spring with Cleveland. He was 3-for-16 in the WBC.
His pro career so far consists of 111 games and 496 plate appearances. Former Cleveland manager Terry Francona believed most players need at least 1,000 plate appearances in the minors to be ready for the big leagues.
The plan is for the second baseman to open the season in Columbus.
“He really just needs to play,” Vogt said more than once when I talked to him. “Just go out and play every day, then see what happens.”
