Former Player Names ‘Odds-On Favorite’ To Win Key Guardians Role

The Cleveland Guardians hoped to have Travis Bazzana on the field at some point in the season.

Unfortunately, those plans had to change.

Baseball’s No. 15 prospect – according to Pipeline – was out for a month and a half with an oblique injury, costing him some valuable development time in the minors.

However, that doesn’t mean the organization isn’t as high on him as they were on the very first day he arrived with the organization.

If anything, he’s still pretty much in line to be the team’s starting second baseman next season.

At least, that’s how Jensen Lewis feels.

Talking on the BIGPLAY Cleveland Show, he predicted that the Australian middle infielder would be the team’s first choice at the position:

“To think that [Travis Bazzana] is in that spot to open the 2026 season and be your opening-day second baseman, I would anticipate he gets every opportunity to win that job out of camp. You don’t fast-track him the way you do through the Minor Leagues this year and not have him be that heir-apparent. That’s our guy, unless something ridiculous happens from an offensive standpoint in Goodyear next year, I would have to think that Bazanna is your odds-on favorite as the Opening Day second baseman,” Lewis said.

When will we see Travis Bazzana? #GuardsBall

"I would have to think that Bazanna is your odds on favorite as the Opening Day second baseman."

–@JLEWFifty

Presented by @nefdirect! Get a discount on any item with this form: https://t.co/hE2TsKlAkm pic.twitter.com/C7rp9e4hvK

— BIGPLAY Cleveland Show (@BIGPLAYCLEshow) September 6, 2025

That makes perfect sense.

The Guardians are clearly committed to their former first-round pick, as they should be, so they should look to put him in a position to succeed and show what he’s got.

As things stand now, Brayan Rocchio is the team’s starting second baseman, but he was actually there to be a shortstop in the first place.

That would make Gabriel Arias the odd man out, but the Guardians won’t hesitate to send him to the bench if that means opening up space for their prized rookie.

Bazzana has looked solid in the minors, even recording his first multi-homer game this week.

And with the way he’s risen through the team’s farm system, the logical next step will be to make his way to the show.