The 2024 MLB Draft will probably go down in history as the one that netted the Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana.
It’s the first time in history that the Guardians had the No. 1 pick and they used it well.
Time will tell if he lives up to the hype.
However, there was more to the Guardians draft than just Bazzana.
They took a really good right-hander in Braylon Doughty next, and with their second round pick, they took catcher Jacob Cozart.
Cozart knows he can do much better than the 26 wRC+ he had with the Lake County Captains (High-A) in 13 regular season games.
He is already working hard to turn around the sour image he felt in his first taste of pro ball.
“Cleveland #Guardians 21yr old (C) prospect Jacob Cozart getting some off-season work in behind the dish. The 2024 2nd Round Pick appeared in 18 games with (High-A) Lake County which included 5 playoff games helping the Captains capture the Midwest League Championship,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Cleveland #Guardians 21yr old (C) prospect Jacob Cozart getting some off-season work in behind the dish.
The 2024 2nd Round Pick appeared in 18 games with (High-A) Lake County which included 5 playoff games helping the Captains capture the Midwest League Championship.… pic.twitter.com/nibCY17tnO
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) December 20, 2024
Cozart is a big part of the Guardians future.
The 21-year-old received a signing bonus of just over $2 million, a testament of his talent.
18 games are not enough of a sample to declare him a bust, but the 2025 campaign will be a key one for his development.
He will likely repeat High-A and the Guardians will go from there.
If he can consistently succeed there, he could see some time in Akron before the end of the year.
It could be a couple of years before he sees the majors, but Cleveland will probably take his time with him to make sure he develops correctly.
NEXT: Potential AL East Contender Shows Interest In Guardians Infielder
