Cleveland Guardians Fans Wait to See What No. 1 Overall Pick Travis Bazzana Can Do For an Encore

The top 2024 draft pick hit his first spring training home run on Tuesday, the first of what the organization hopes will be many in a Cleveland uniform.

Oregon State Beavers infielder Travis Bazzana (37) strikes out during the seventh inning against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington, Ky., on June 9, 2024. / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Cleveland Guardians prospect Travis Bazzana clearly was waiting for a pitch to drive on Tuesday when he stepped into the box in the sixth inning, his first at-bat after entering the game.

He walked.

Up again in the eighth inning, he walked.

Bazzana got one more at bat in the Guardians’ 9-6 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Goodyear, Ariz., and he made it count.

The 22-year-old Bazzana, ranked by MLB Pipeline as baseball’s No. 10 prospect, drove a ninth-inning changeup from right-hander Alexander Cornielle into the lawn seats, a 443-foot poke to right center that scored three runs.

Travis Bazzana, @MLBPipeline's No. 10 prospect, crushes his first #SpringTraining home run! 💥 pic.twitter.com/HXieVT8Lca

— MLB (@MLB) February 25, 2025

It’s a scene Guardians fans envision seeing over and over once he reaches the big leagues.

The second baseman displayed his power at Oregon State in 2024, hitting 28 home runs and driving in 66 over 60 games. He also had 16 steals and hit .407 en route to becoming the first Australia native to be taken No. 1 in the draft.

He appeared in 27 games at High-A Lake County after the draft, hitting three home runs with 12 RBIs.

In two games this spring, he’s been to the plate six times, walking three times. His homer is his only hit.

MLB Pipeline projects a quick rise for Bazzana, predicting he’ll be major league-ready in 2025. And he said he is learning so much at spring training that is improving his game.

“If there’s one thing I’ve taken away from the time with Cleveland so far, it's the attention to detail on the defensive and baserunning side has been unbelievable,” he said, per MLB.com. “I’ve really felt more confident, day in and day out, going out to play second base. I think I did a solid job in college, but I’ve made some real jumps since I’ve got to professional baseball.”

The Guardians will host the Texas Rangers in Goodyear on Wednesday.

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