The Cleveland Guardians finished the season with their third consecutive AL Central title, achieved in the final weekend against the Kansas City Royals. They are now in the Division Series, awaiting their foe to open their playoff journey on Saturday.
To win the division despite Jose Ramirez’s down season, many things had to go right in Cleveland. Thankfully, they were able to put together an impressive collection of young talent, led by 2024 No. 1 Draft pick Travis Bazzana.
Bazzana, who made the American League All-Star roster, finished with a steady .245/.335/.408 line with a 110 wRC+ and 2.8 fWAR. He also homered 15 times and stole 19 bases. Things, however, weren’t always easy for him.
The infielder took it up a notch in the stretch run and showed why the Guardians drafted him ahead of many other studs with a .280/.365/.613 line, a .978 OPS, and a 170 wRC+ in September. Analyst Joe Noga said Bazzana was the rookie who made the most progress throughout the season in Cleveland.
“Travis Bazzana made the most progress at the end of the year, just in what he showed in his at-bats and his ability,” Noga said. “That was the guy that they drafted. That was what they envisioned from Bazzana when they took him first overall.”
It was a tale of three seasons for Bazzana, which is why it is important to identify and analyze them separately. He took the league by storm in May with a .311/.398/.476 line, and most of that production later represented the foundation of his All-Star case.
However, the talented second baseman struggled badly in the summer. He was almost unplayable for long stretches, having posted a 79 wRC+ in June, a 99 mark in July, and a putrid 63 in August.
That was when many fans were questioning whether the Guardians made the right call two years ago with that No. 1 overall pick. However, September rolled around, and the rookie helped ease some concerns with that explosive performance.
Bazzana, a hard worker, made some adjustments and returned to his dominant ways. His resurgence was crucial for the Guardians and helped them win many key games in the division race.
He will now get his first taste of postseason baseball and is expected to be an important part of the Guardians’ lineup moving forward.
NEXT: Analyst Names His Guardians MVP This Season
