It took just 24 major league games for Travis Bazzana to assume his destiny as the Cleveland Guardians’ leadoff hitter. Now that he’s moved up, he doesn’t plan to do anything different than what got him there.
On Sunday, in just his second game at the top of Cleveland’s order, Bazzana showed everything he’s capable of bringing to the job. He went 3-for-4 with a long home run in a 3-1 win against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Afterward, Bazzana spoke out about his new leadoff role and said he was “super stoked” for the opportunity.
“Not really trying to force a performance in any spot in the lineup, but yeah, super stoked to be able to like have that opportunity, and something I’ve done for a long time, and so I feel comfortable there, and I’m excited to keep it rolling, hopefully,” Bazzana said.
#Guardians Travis Bazzana in Philadelphia on his comfortability so far batting leadoff:
"Not really trying to force a performance in any spot in the lineup, but yeah, super stoked to be able to like have that opportunity, and something I've done for a long time, and so I feel… https://t.co/qVFJP0xUKa
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) May 24, 2026
In his leadoff debut on Saturday, Bazzana was 1-for-4 with a double in a 3-0 loss that ended Cleveland’s seven-game winning streak. It came after spending his time batting fifth, sixth, or seventh in the order since making his MLB debut on April 28.
He started his career 0-for-12, but he got his first hit in his 13th at-bat and hasn’t really stopped since. Bazzana is batting .316 in May, including a seven-game streak when he had 13 hits.
In addition, he has a .413 on-base percentage this month, thanks to 11 walks, which shows the discipline required of an ideal leadoff hitter. Bazzana also has seven stolen bases, though five of those came in a three-game span when he was still in the middle of the order.
Outfielder Steven Kwan had been Cleveland’s leadoff hitter during his entire five-year career until an extended slump to open this season. Other options besides Bazzana were used first, but when Daniel Schneemann failed at the assignment, the second baseman was finally given the chance.
It could become a permanent move, depending on how Bazzana fares. Ever since he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, he has been targeted for that role, based on his approach at the plate, which included a .422 on-base percentage in 24 games at Triple-A Columbus to open this season.
It is quite a rise in less than two months, but Bazzana has so far proven more than worthy of the responsibility and high expectations.
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