The Cleveland Guardians added a top prospect to their farm system on Sunday, taking Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Bazzana also agreed to sign for a bonus of just under nine million dollars and will be joining an organization that is first in the AL Central and looking like one of the best teams in baseball.
Bazzana is not a finished product as his defense could use some improvement, but he is very close to being MLB-ready when it comes to his offensive ability.
In Oregon State, he hit over .400 this past season, posted a 1.479 OPS, hit 28 home runs, and stole 16 bases for good measure.
There is a non-zero chance that we see him in MLB at some point this year, but it remains highly unlikely.
In fact, the Guardians weren’t too aggressive when choosing the minor league level in which Bazzana will start his professional career.
“No. 1 pick Travis Bazzana will join the High-A Lake County Captains late next week,” The Athletic’s Zack Meisel tweeted.
No. 1 pick Travis Bazzana will join the High-A Lake County Captains late next week. pic.twitter.com/qXwD06ORI4
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) July 19, 2024
Make no mistake: High-A, for a rookie, is a good challenge.
If Bazzana is really as good as advertised, he will breeze through the level and force his way to the high minors eventually.
If he is good enough to be an MLB hitter this year, he will have to prove it in the minors.
The most likely scenario has him playing the whole year in the minors but reaching Double-A or Triple-A before the end of the season, putting himself in a position to make his MLB debut sometime in 2025.
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