Travis Bazzana may be something of a forgotten man as he toils in the minors while the Cleveland Guardians are holding first place in the AL Central. The organization’s No. 1 prospect was thought to have a chance to be in the majors already, but that timeline has again been delayed.
That doesn’t mean big things aren’t expected from the second baseman, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. On the contrary, Bazzana is still seen as a major part of the team’s future, if not their present.
Insider Paul Hoynes recently said he believes the Guardians prospect is “the real deal” and will be helping the major league team at some point.
“I think this guy’s the real deal. I had my doubts a little bit before this spring training, but watching the way he came on at the end of camp when he came back from the WBC, he’s legit. He’s gonna be a good player,” Hoynes said.
The Guardians already had an opportunity to promote Bazzana from Triple-A when Gabriel Arias went on the injured list after suffering a left hamstring strain. With the shortstop expected to be out 4-8 weeks, Cleveland decided to call up Juan Brito instead.
The move looks to be the right one, at least so far. After making his major league debut on April 4, Brito has five hits in 12 at-bats for a .417 batting average with two doubles and one RBI. With Brayan Rocchio moving over to shortstop, Brito has one error in three starts at second base.
Meanwhile, Bazzana is batting .200 for Columbus, with two doubles, two triples and three RBIs in 50 at-bats. Last season, he batted .225 in 26 games there after returning from multiple oblique injuries that limited him to 84 total games in his first full minor league season.
Bazzana was competing for a middle infield job with the Guardians in training camp, but his time away playing for his native Australia in the World Baseball Classic may have hindered his cause. Despite performing well and gaining valuable experience in the tournament, the Guardians made the safer decision to go with veterans Arias and Rocchio as their double play combination to open the season.
If Brito continues to perform as he has, Bazzana may be in the minors a while longer, and the Guardians could have difficult decisions to make once Arias can return.
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