2024 First Overall Pick Travis Bazzana to Begin Minor League Career With Lake County Captains

EASTLAKE, OH – On Friday, July 19, the Cleveland Guardians announced that 2B Travis Bazzana, the first overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft, would begin his Minor League Baseball career with the Lake County Captains, Cleveland’s High-A Affiliate.

He is set to make his highly anticipated Minor League debut on Friday night in a road game against the Great Lakes Loons, the High-A Affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and will wear number 11 for Lake County. First pitch for Friday night’s contest is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.

Bazzana, The Athletic’s No. 15 and Baseball America’s No. 19 MLB prospect, is the first No. 1 overall pick in Cleveland franchise history. He is also the first second baseman and first Australian-born player taken first overall in MLB Draft history.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Travis to the organization and for him to make his Minor League debut with the Captains,” Cleveland Director of Player Development Rob Cerfolio said. “Travis’s on-field successes over his college career speak for themselves, but we are even more impressed with the type of person he is and his dedication to maximizing his ability. We look forward to partnering with him on future growth both on and off the field.”

The 21-year-old was one of the premier players in college baseball this year.

He ranked top-10 in Division I in: walks (76, second), on-base percentage (.568, second), slugging percentage (.911, second), runs (84, tied for sixth), home runs (28, tied for seventh), total bases (195, tied for seventh), and batting average (.407, eighth). The left-handed hitter reached base in all 60 games he played, while tallying a 1.479 OPS. Bazzana was named a 2024 Golden Spikes Award finalist and Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist, while being named the 2024 Pac-12 Player of the Year and a First Team All-American by six different organizations.

The Sydney, Australia native set many Oregon State school records during his three seasons with the Beavers, including career marks for: hits (251), doubles (52), home runs (45), total bases (460), stolen bases (66), and walks (180). In 2023, he was recognized as a Second Team All-American by ABCA and Collegiate Baseball and a Third Team All-American by the NCBWA, while being named First Team All-Pac-12 in each of his three collegiate seasons.

Bazzana also excelled in the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2023 as a member of the Falmouth Commodores, as he was named the league’s Pat Sorenti MVP and won its batting title with a .375 batting average. He tallied 51 hits, 33 runs, six doubles, two triples, six home runs, 31 RBI, and 14 stolen bases in 33 regular-season games.

This will not be Bazzana’s first experience in professional baseball, however. Beginning at the age of 15, he played 19 regular-season games over three seasons with the Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League. Bazzana hit .257 with nine hits, two doubles, one triple, one RBI, two stolen bases, and a .767 OPS during this span.

After concluding a nine-game road trip with three more games against the Loons, the Captains will host a six-game home series against the Beloit Sky Carp, the High-A Affiliate of the Miami Marlins, from Tuesday, July 30 through Sunday, August 4. First pitch for the Sky Carp series-opener is scheduled for Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET from Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake. Tickets for Tuesday’s game and all upcoming home contests are available for purchase at the Classic Auto Group Park box office, by phone at (440) 975-8085, or online at CaptainsBaseball.com.

Bazzana’s 2024 MLB Pipeline Draft Profile:

A native of Sydney, Australia, Bazzana came to the United States and immediately made an impact with a .902 OPS as a freshman. He upped that to 1.122 with 11 homers and 36 steals a year later, then raised his profile even more when he won the Cape Cod League batting title (.375) and MVP Award, putting him near the top of most Draft boards. The left-handed-hitting infielder is compact and strong with plenty of bat speed. He has an advanced approach at the plate with a ton of raw power he taps into, though he can occasionally be susceptible to offspeed stuff on the outer half. He's proven he can hit lefties as well as righties. A plus runner, he's a legitimate base-stealing threat. While some worry about where he can play defensively, some scouts think he's going to be just fine at second base. His athleticism helps him have good range, he has enough arm for the spot and he can turn the double play effectively. A second-base profile isn't one often seen at the top of a Draft, but the conviction in his bat is so strong, he's going to get a lot of attention in the top 10.

The Lake County Captains are the High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, and have been a Class A Affiliate of Cleveland since the team was founded in 2003. To find out more information about the Captains or purchase tickets, visit CaptainsBaseball.com, or call (440) 975-8085.