When the 2026 season started, Travis Bazzana was in the minor leagues. He made his MLB debut in late April, and he is now about to play his first postseason game on Saturday against the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS.
A journey like that is bound to inspire some reflection, and Bazzana’s memories remind everyone just how young he actually is. The 24-year-old second baseman reminisced about watching Cleveland play in the 2016 World Series, when he had to sneakily follow the games while he was still in school.
Leading up to Game 1 of this series, Bazzana opened up about the huge opportunity for the Guardians, hopeful they can overcome that previous outcome and bring the franchise its first World Series championship since 1948.
“The first thing that came to my mind of like a postseason moment that I recall as a kid was the last time this city was super, super heartbroken. I remember watching that whole World Series in ’16 in class. I just remember the last inning, the last out. Those things stick in my mind. That was an incredible team. We all understand the opportunity we have to bring something to the city of Cleveland that they’ve waited a long time for, and they’re behind us fully. We’re just gonna lock in and give it everything we’ve got,” Bazzana said.
“We all understand the opportunity we have to bring something to the city of Cleveland that they've waited a long time for, and they're behind us fully”#Guardians Travis Bazzana says that one of his earliest playoff baseball memories was watching Game 7 of the 2016 World Series… pic.twitter.com/9u33QDafWc
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) October 3, 2026
As every Cleveland fan knows, the team lost one of the most epic Game 7s of all time to the Chicago Cubs. The 10-inning, 8-7 defeat ended with a runner on first base after Cleveland had scored to pull within one run.
Since then, the Guardians have made it back to the playoffs seven times, including this year. They have reached the ALCS once, in 2024, losing to the New York Yankees in five games.
So, the elusive goal remains out there, with Bazzana getting his first chance to chase the title. Fellow rookie Chase DeLauter made his MLB debut in the Wild Card Round last year, when Cleveland lost to Detroit in three games. Parker Messick, this year’s Game 1 starter, did not pitch in that series after being called up late in the regular season.
Bazzana has shown that he is ready for the challenge, with an excellent closing stretch that helped the Guardians rally past the White Sox to win the AL Central. He had a .978 OPS over the final month, with six home runs and 15 RBIs.
So, the pressure isn’t likely to get the best of him, as he’s known since he was a boy what competing in the postseason can look like.
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