It would have been completely outrageous to think that any Cleveland Guardians prospect would have the type of debut Chase DeLauter had to begin the 2026 season. But the Guardians were likely expecting just a little bit more from Travis Bazzana.
The second baseman was promoted from Triple-A and made his MLB debut on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Though he has hit some balls hard and displayed a focused approach at the plate, Bazzana has not had a hit in six at-bats over his first two major league games.
With that .000 batting average, analyst Justin Lada was honest about Bazzana’s performance so far, saying he’s still “finding his level setting.”
“I thought Bazzana’s at-bats both days were pretty good. I think he’s still finding his level setting at the major league level. I think his at-bats have been really mature so far. He’s shown some aggression trying to attack the first pitch and fastballs,” Lada said.
Travis Bazzana might just be a keeper, folks. #GuardsBall
"His ABs have been really mature so far, he's shown some aggression trying to attack the first pitch and fastballs."
– @JL_Baseball pic.twitter.com/iKlyi2ypKI
— The Daily Guards (@DailyGuards) April 30, 2026
Bazzana was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, and his arrival to the Guardians has been highly anticipated since that moment. However, a series of oblique injuries delayed his development last season, and this year, despite being a potential contender to be Cleveland’s starting second baseman on Opening Day, he was sent back to Columbus to begin the season.
Bazzana could have been called up when shortstop Gabriel Arias went on the injured list in early April, but the Guardians opted for fellow rookie Juan Brito instead. Then, after Brito fell off considerably following a hot start, and Bazzana was crushing the ball at Triple-A, the native Australian was finally promoted to the majors.
Batting seventh in his debut, Bazzana struck out in his first at-bat, then popped out before getting walked in his final two plate appearances, including one intentional in the bottom of the ninth of a 1-0 game. The next day, batting seventh again, Bazzana was 0-for-4. He grounded out to second base twice and popped out to shortstop, though he did hit a fly ball to center field that Lada said may have been a home run on a warmer day at Progressive Field.
Bazzana will get another chance to earn his first major league hit on Friday when the Guardians visit the Athletics in Sacramento.
NEXT: One Guardians Player Paid The Price For Travis Bazzana's Promotion
