CLEVELAND – The first 50 is over and Travis Bazzana is feeling fine at Progressive Field.
The Cleveland Guardians’ first overall draft pick in the 2024 MLB draft was called up April 28 and has played in 15 games and logged 50 at-bats.
It’s been so far, so good for the 23-year-old from Australia.
“It’s been great,” Bazzana said. “I’ve enjoyed the atmosphere. The guys around here have built an incredible clubhouse. I feel like I’m comfortable, playing hard and [am] just going to continue to try to win ballgames.”
The series opener against the Cincinnati Reds showed just how disciplined he can be at the plate in a 7-6 loss.
Travis Bazzana shows discipline, hustle for Guardians
He forced a 12-pitch at-bat in the second before popping out.
“He hit the ball hard there at the end,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “I thought we had a number of guys that had really good at-bats tonight. But Travis’ at-bats have been very, very good versus left, versus right.”
Bazzana finished the series opener 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run.
He also showed his speed with a headfirst slide into home in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Jose Ramirez on a ball that wasn’t hit all that deep to center fielder Will Benson.
Bazzana beat the throw to catcher Tyler Stephenson rather easily to make it 6-5.
“I was just listening for Rugie [Rouglas Odor] there,” he said. “Sometimes intuition’s going to play into it, but you kind of trust in your third-base coach at the big league level, and he was adamant it was time to go. So I just trusted him.”
Travis Bazzana’s stats
Ever the perfectionist, Bazzana remembered the scorched ball to second on which Matt McLain dove in the hole to make the play to end the game.
That aside, Bazzana is hitting .240, with a .406 on-base percentage in his first two-plus weeks, with a home run and seven RBIs.
He’s made just one error in 56 chances, turned eight double plays and logged 20 putouts for .982 fielding percentage.
“I had a couple good at-bats, missed a couple of pitches my first two, but it was nice to hit a couple balls at good angles on the button my last couple at-bats,” he said. “Obviously, I didn’t get through in the last one, which was unfortunate, but it was overall a solid day at the plate.”
Brad Bournival can be reached by email at bbournival@usatodayco.com and is on X at @bbournival.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: It’s been 2-plus weeks but Travis Bazzana looks good for Guardians
Reporting by Brad Bournival, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
