How Does Travis Bazzana Fit With The Cleveland Guardians?

The Cleveland Guardians have options on where Travis Bazzana will play on defense.

Jun 9, 2024; Lexington, KY, USA; Oregon State Beavers infielder Travis Bazzana (37) hits a foul ball during the first inning against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kentucky Proud Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports / Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Travis Bazzana it is!

On Sunday evening, the Cleveland Guardians officially selected the Oregon State infielder as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Now that the Guardians have made their pick, let's examine how their newest prospect fits with the rest of Cleveland's organization.

Bazzana's Bat

The Guardians are getting one of the best bats available in this year's draft. Bazzana hit .407/.568/.911 with an OPS of 1.479 last season with Oregon State, including 28 home runs and 16 doubles. The power with Bazzana is real, he can hit for contact, and is an on-base machine.

Based on these numbers and plate discipline, Bazzana could easily fit at the top of Cleveland's lineup in the number two spot behind Steven Kwan and in front of Jose Ramirez.

Bazzana's Defensive Fit

Bazzana played second base for the Beavers and showed great potential to be a solid defensive player at the big league level. Following the draft, Chris Antonetti said that Bazzana would come up through the system as a second baseman.

Obviously, this creates some more questions, considering the Guardians already have a Platinum Glove second baseman signed through the 2030 season in Andres Gimenez.

Oregon State's Travis Bazzana throws to first base against Tulane in the Corvallis Regional of the NCAA Tournament Friday, May 31, 2024, at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. / Kevin Neri/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY

There are two important areas to consider here.

Antonetti also said the organization likes Bazzana's athleticism and potential to play other positions if needed. This doesn't mean he will immediately switch to a new spot on the field, but it's not uncommon for a player to come up at one spot and move to another once they make their major league debut.

The other option here is to keep Bazzana at second and shift Gimenez to the other side of the infield to play shortstop.

Cleveland still doesn't have a long-term solution on the middle-left side of the infield, and giving Gimenez the keys there while letting Bazzana play second base where he's comfortable could be a great duo for years to come.

Everything will work itself in the long run. The Guardians were focused on walking away from the draft with the most talented player, and it appears they've done that.