The No. 20 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, could be in the Majors at some point this year. The Cleveland Guardians decided Monday it will not be on Opening Day.
The team informed second baseman Travis Bazzana he will begin the 2026 season with Triple-A Columbus, as reported by Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. Bazzana was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Oregon State and reached Triple-A at the end of last season.
The Australia native represented his country in the World Baseball Classic, where he went 2-for-4 with a home run in a 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei. Bazzana went 3-for-16 overall in the tournament.
The Guardians look like they will begin the season with Brayan Rocchio, who played for Team Italy in the WBC, at second base and Gabriel Arias at shortstop.
Travis Bazzana Impresses In Spring Training
Bazzana was having an impressive Spring Training before he left for the WBC and continued to hit upon returning. He has four hits, including a home run, in 14 at bats with four RBIs and an .875 OPS. His batting average jumped from .200 in his first big league camp in 2025 to .286 in 2026.
“I think I’ve seen him play six times now, and every time out I get more and more impressed,” manager Stephen Vogt said on Monday. “We see more of his game, the baserunning, the defense. We know he can hit. It just seemed like every time Travis was out there, we got to see a new element of his game.”
The key for Bazzana to get a call up in 2026 will be staying on the field. The 23-year-old played in just 84 games last season, missing two months with a right oblique strain and ending the season on the injured list with left flank soreness. Cleveland needs him to get more consistent at bats in Triple A before he can try to make an impact for the Major League club.
“It’s like I told him,” Vogt said. “‘Go play, go stay ready.’ We know this kid’s going to help us a ton and win a lot of games. But again, he needs to go play and get everyday at-bats and continue to develop.”
Travis Bazzana Minor League And College Career
Bazzana’s elite hit tool made the Guardians comfortable selecting him with the top pick of the draft, and he has done nothing but rake in the minor leagues. Even in limited, sporadic action last year, the Hornsby, Australia native posted an .813 OPS across three levels, hitting nine home runs and racking up 39 RBIs.
His track record in college as an all-around hitter was even better. Bazzana hit .375 and won the Cape Cod League batting title in the summer of 2023 before batting .407 in his senior season at Oregon State, ranking second in NCAA Division I in OPS (1.479). He also set the Beavers’ school record for home runs in a season with 28.
If Bazzana can continue his hot hitting in Columbus, it won’t be long before he’s playing for Cleveland in 2026.
Guardians Top Prospect Travis Bazzana Sent To Triple-A