Great news: Bazzana clears a few major obstacles….

First-choice pick in the draft gets a few hits and plays for the captains

In his first-ever affiliated ball game, Travis Bazzana recorded his first RBI for High-A Lake County. He accomplished a couple more goals in his second.

In the Captains’ 3-2 loss to the Great Lakes Loons at Dow Diamond, the top choice in the 2024 MLB Draft—who is probably going to be ranked among the game’s Top 20 prospects once MLB Pipeline releases its midseason rerank—recorded his first knock, his first extra-base hit, and his first multihit outing.

“Not too much emotion, but definitely a good feeling to get the first one,” Bazzana stated.

After he was unable to get his first hit out of the way in his debut on July 26, Bazzana made quick work of the task on Sunday. Leading off for the Guardians’ High-A affiliate, the former Oregon State Beaver fouled off each of the first two offerings from right-hander Jacob Meador before working the count to 2-2 and rocketing the fifth pitch he saw through the hole between first and second. He later came in to score on a bases-loaded walk, giving the Lake County the early lead.

“I feel good in the box, but I think I’m just working back a little bit to where I’d like to be,” said Bazzana who hadn’t had a live at-bat since June 9. “I think there’s a little period right now where I’m trying to get my sights and my swing decisions right.”

In addition to marking Bazzana’s first knock in the Minors, the single was also the first hit by a player from the 2024 Draft. He is the lone representative from that group to debut in affiliated baseball so far, taking the diamond just 12 days after being selected first overall. The quick turnaround from the Draft was of Bazzana’s own design. As soon as the college season ended, he started ramping up his throwing and taking swings with a wood bat — something he has used ever since his time in Australia.

“Playing within a week or two [of the Draft] was kind of my goal,” Bazzana said. “I communicated that with the Guardians once I was selected and they said, ‘Yeah, if you’re ready, and you’ve been training the right way, we would like to be appropriately aggressive with getting you out there and playing.'”

Just like in his debut, Bazzana played a scheduled seven innings. The limited playing time is part of the ramp-up process that will continue throughout the next week.

The Australia native’s next at-bat came just one frame later. Facing Meador for the second time, Bazzana attempted a check-swing on a 3-2 heater, but it was ruled a full-swing and a strikeout.

In the fifth, Bazzana came out on top. In his third and final at-bat vs. Meador, he belted a line drive into the left-center field gap. The 60-grade runner showed off his speed, racing to third for what was ruled a double with an advance to third on a fielding error.

Bazzana fanned in his final at-bat of the contest, finishing 2-for-4 with two runs scored – the only runs that Lake County posted in the contest. But he also showed some flair at second base on a sharply hit ball by Chris Newell in the bottom of the sixth.