During the winter months, Cleveland Guardians fans will bear the frigid Lake Erie cold fronts. The other side of the globe offers the blazing sun that heats the boys of summer. Ball players strategically pound line drives into the blades of a perfectly manicured outfield of Bermuda grass. Batting practice in January at Blacktown International Sportspark in Sydney, Australia, is a baseball purist’s dream. The perfect summer climate, the “thrill of the grass,” as Moonlight Graham so eloquently described in Field of Dreams.
With the surf of Bondi Beach just a short drive away, the setting rivals that of any of the baseball hotbeds in Southern California. The scenery resembles the very best of Latin America in terms of beauty, luxury, and, in particular, open-air access to the sport of baseball on a year-round basis.
These are the grounds where 2024 Cleveland Guardians first overall pick, Travis Bazzana, got his start and initial exposure to semi-professional baseball as a 15-year-old middle infielder for the Sydney Blue Sox in 2016.
It is somewhat perplexing to think of why Baseball has never really taken off in the tropical paradise of Australia. A handful of players have cracked MLB rosters over the years, and Australia has a rather extensive history of exposure to the game. Similarly to Japan, Australia was introduced to the game early in the 20th century. Still, its citizens point to elements of deceit, mistrust, and betrayal by the game’s ambassadors as the main reason why the game never took off in ‘Straya. Australians are proud of their sporting heritage and are not about to forget being misled by foreign cronies.
With that said, the game still thrives in small circles. Travis Bazzana garnered attention early on in the Australian Baseball League (ABL). One simply requires a quick look at Bazzana’s pedigree on the field or in an interview to see that the fire in his eyes could ignite a revolution for the growth of baseball in his home country. The 22-year-old has every right to attack the game with an angry passion that has been suppressed and silenced for generations.
A similar fire of disposition is familiar with previous number-one picks, from Bryce Harper to Gerrit Cole to Royce Lewis or, most recently, National League Rookie of the Year, Paul Skenes. These players have an “it” factor that is almost indescribable. A natural force of intimidation that immediately commands respect from teammates and the competition. Bazzana most certainly has this to the same extent and more.
He is on a mission not just to succeed but to be great. In effect, the greatest baseball player that Australia has ever produced. This is his goal, and if his phenomenal production during his final year at Oregon State indicates his future success, this goal should be well within reach.
Bazzana has spent the offseason rigorously training in Melbourne with the Australian National team. This past November, he aspired to lead the team to a respectable showing at the WSBC Premier 12 tournament. Bazzana played well, but the Aussies were eliminated in the preliminary round. One performance, in particular, had Bazzana and Australia facing a Japanese team stacked with NPB all-stars and prospective MLB Spring Training invitees.
That game was in front of a packed stadium of Japanese fans at the Vantelin Dome in Nagoya. Travis Bazzana played flawless defense, banged out a couple of solid singles while hitting leadoff, and stole second, later scoring a run for the visiting Australian squad. His performance offered Guardians fans a glimpse of the type of well-rounded sparkplug they had hoped he would eventually become in Cleveland at the Major League level.
With the trade of platinum glove winner Andres Gimenez, the Guardians have hinted that they are ready for Bazzana to crack the 40-man roster and start at second base on opening day. Replacing Gimenez’s defensive wizardry at second will be challenging, but Bazzana is undoubtedly up to the task and more than capable. The ultimate hope is for the Cleveland Guardians lineup to continue instilling fear in opposing pitchers. The power potential that this team is projecting to have in 2025 is unmatched, especially from the left side.
Superstar Jose Ramirez will lead the charge of a lineup that is stacked with players who routinely clear the yard. Bazzana would offer complimentary pop to sluggers Josh and Bo Naylor. At some point, manager Stephen Vogt will look to push solid-hitting Lane Thomas down toward the middle of the lineup so that Bazzana can solidify his role as a power-hitting and base-stealing leadoff man.
The 2025 MLB season will likely see the rise of several highly touted prospects being called up. There is undoubtedly more excitement and anticipation for the arrival of Travis Bazzana to Cleveland than there likely is with any other player. This is how it should be with a number 1 pick. In the case of Bazzana, though, his mission is not only to see the pinnacle of his own personal success but to change the narrative of baseball as a sport in Australia. It is an enormous task and responsibility. So far, he has proven to be more than capable. Cleveland fans are excited for what is to come!
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