MLB revealed the most recent update of the All-Star Game voting this week, on Monday. Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana is currently fifth among players at his position, with 388,507 votes, behind Ernie Clement, Ezequiel Duran, Jose Altuve, and Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Bazzana deserves to play the Midsummer Classic on July 14 in Philadelphia. Here are three reasons why:
He Is Already Among The Best Players At His Position
Bazzana might be fifth among second basemen in the vote so far, but the stats say that he should have a place on the roster. He leads players at his position with his 136 wRC+ before Tuesday’s game, is third in fWAR with 1.6 despite playing 20-25 fewer games than the top two, and is first in slugging percentage with .469 (min. 200 plate appearances).
Bazzana, already one of MLB’s best rookies, is also tied for third among American League second basemen with seven homers, and is second with 12 stolen bases, both before Tuesday’s games. Remember, he wasn’t a major leaguer until late April.
The numbers don’t lie, and they say the Australian should be an All-Star.
Fans Want To See One Of MLB’s Most Exciting Rookies
The All-Star Game is made for the fans, right? And fans definitely want to see a former No. 1 draft pick who is thriving as a major leaguer in his debut season.
Despite playing on a small-market team and giving up a month’s worth of stats to competitors, fans have him fifth among second basemen in the junior circuit.
He will need to crack the top two to advance to Phase 2 of the voting process, and has an outside chance of doing that. Still, he should be a part of the party nonetheless, one way or another.
He Is Carrying The Guardians
When Bazzana was called up by Cleveland, he played a few games in the bottom half of the lineup. However, he quickly earned the top spot in the order and is now leading the offense every night.
The rookie is carrying the Guardians’ offense in the absence of Jose Ramirez, Angel Martinez, and Chase DeLauter. At times, he looks like the lone consistent source of offense Cleveland has.
Bazzana is diligent, hard-working, and plays every game as if it were his last. His energy is contagious, and he looks like the best player on the field at times, especially since Ramirez is out of the lineup.
The league and fans are starting to see how he’s become the main attraction on the Guardians.
NEXT: Analyst Sends Message To Guardians Fans After Loss To White Sox
