Insider Reveals Which Guardians Player Has Most Potential

The debate over which Cleveland player carries the highest ceiling has been one of the more compelling conversations surrounding this roster all season, and the answer is not as simple as it might appear. Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter represent two of the more intriguing young talents in the American League, and both have legitimate claims to the title. When the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show posed the question directly to Jason Lloyd, the longtime Guardians insider did not hesitate to pick a side.

Lloyd made his case for Bazzana as the player with the highest ceiling during the show’s latest segment.

“It’s the guy we spent a lot of the first segment talking about, it’s Travis Bazzana. I would take him over DeLauter. The injury concern is still a factor with DeLauter. I like Bazzana’s swing. I like his approach. I like his mental. He’s got to clean up the throwing, we talked about that.”

Bazzana’s case begins with the numbers he has produced since his late April debut. The 23-year-old second baseman has backed up that billing with a .346 on-base percentage and 12 stolen bases through his first 56 games in the major leagues. His plate discipline, his ability to make adjustments mid at bat and his comfort in high leverage situations have all drawn praise from around the league.

Lloyd’s concern about DeLauter is grounded in a legitimate pattern. DeLauter has dealt with a shoulder injury, a fractured rib cage and various other setbacks that have limited him to 70 games this season. Every time he gets rolling, something has intervened.

Bazzana’s throwing at second base has drawn attention throughout the year, and Lloyd’s note about cleaning that up reflects the one area of his game that has not yet caught up to everything else. Still, Bazzana is already drawing national recognition as a Rookie of the Year contender, and the argument Lloyd is making looks increasingly difficult to dispute. For a Cleveland organization built around developing its own talent, having this kind of debate about two players who are just getting started is exactly the kind of problem worth having.