The eventual offensive turnaround observers may have been expecting from the Cleveland Guardians has yet to take place. That’s one of the reasons the organization finally gave in and promoted top prospect Travis Bazzana to the majors.
In the midst of their first extended losing streak of the campaign, and a stretch of five defeats in seven games, Bazzana was summoned from Triple-A to replace struggling rookie Juan Brito. Yet, the new second baseman does not have a hit in his first six MLB at-bats.
The recent slide has knocked the Guardians into a tie for first place in the AL Central, and they have also made a worrisome move in ESPN’s latest MLB power rankings, falling from No. 10 to No. 15.
“Travis Bazzana became the first No. 1 overall pick in franchise history in the summer of 2024. And on Tuesday, he became the Guardians’ most anticipated callup since probably Francisco Lindor — which was more than 10 years ago. On the heels of a spring that saw him represent Australia in the World Baseball Classic, then put up a .937 OPS in his first 24 Triple-A games, Bazzana has reached the big leagues, and it seems he’ll get a nice runway at second base. When he joined them, the Guardians had scored three runs or less in four of their previous five games. As manager Stephen Vogt said: ‘We kind of need a little jolt,'” Alden Gonzalez wrote.
In Bazzana’s MLB debut, the Guardians were shut out in a 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. They ended the four-game losing streak by winning the series finale 3-1 in his second game.
Now back at .500 with a 16-16 record, the Cleveland offense, which was a major concern heading into the season, continues to hold the team back. The Guardians rank 24th in the majors in runs scored, 26th in batting average, and 26th in OPS.
Most of their projected top hitters are underperforming, most notably Steven Kwan, who is batting .221, and Kyle Manzardo and Bo Naylor, who are each batting below .200 and have combined for just two home runs and 10 RBIs. Even Jose Ramirez has been somewhat disappointing, with a .222 batting average, though he does have six home runs and 12 stolen bases.
If not for the breakout offense of Daniel Schneemann and Brayan Rocchio, the Guardians would be much worse off. Fortunately, their pitching staff has been able to keep them afloat, at least so far. A staff led by Gavin Williams and Parker Messick ranks seventh in ERA, seventh in on-base percentage against, and sixth in WHIP.
Hopefully, Bazzana will provide the jolt Vogt is looking for, but it would also be very helpful if other hitters started to pick up their game as well.
NEXT: Analyst Gets Honest About Travis Bazzana's Performance So Far
