Cleveland Guardians Select Oregon State’s Travis Bazzana First Overall
Image credit: Travis Bazzana (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)
The wait is finally over.
After months of chatter and several potential options, the Cleveland Guardians selected Oregon State infielder Travis Bazzana with their first overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft on Sunday. Bazzana is both the first-ever Australia native and first-ever second baseman to be drafted No 1. He flat-out dominated at every stop throughout his illustrious career.
As a rising freshman—and keep in mind this was before he even stepped foot on campus at Oregon State—Bazzana hit .429/.471/.593 with 24 extra-base hits, 27 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in the West Coast League. Across his three seasons at Oregon State, Bazzana cemented himself as one of the best players in program history.
Following his sophomore season, Bazzana took home MVP honors in the prestigious Cape Cod League by slashing .375/.456/.581 with six doubles, a pair of triples, six home runs and 31 RBIs in 33 games. He rode the momentum he built during the summer into this spring, as he posted a gaudy .407/.568/.911 slash line with 16 doubles, 28 home runs, 66 RBIs and a ridiculous 76-to-37 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Unsurprisingly, Bazzana was named the Pac-12 player of the year, a first team All-American and a Golden Spikes Award finalist.
There are very few warts in Bazzana’s offensive profile. His operation in the box is as explosive and athletic as it gets, and he boasts elite-level bat speed. Bazzana has unmatched feel to hit. He also has an uncanny feel for the barrel and routinely generates high-quality impact. He has comfortably above-average power—including plus to the pull side—and has shown the ability to drive the baseball with authority to all fields.
Bazzana is also a plus runner who can impact the game with his legs. While he is a no-doubt second baseman professionally, Bazzana is a strong defender at the position where his athleticism translates well on top of his above-average arm.
As a cherry on top to Bazzana’s profile, his feel for the game and baseball sense are both elite. His set of tools enables him to impact each game in a myriad ways, and he has eventual all-star upside.
