Australian second baseman Travis Bazzana taken by Cleveland Guardians with top MLB draft pick (2024)

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Travis Bazzana feels like he represents an entire country, not just a college.

Cleveland selected the Australian second baseman on Sunday night with the No. 1 pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft, and three players from Wake Forest were picked in the top 10.

A former cricket, rugby and soccer player who came to the United States to play baseball for Oregon State, the 21-year-old hit .407 with 28 homers and 66 RBIs this season. He became the first Australian and first second baseman taken No. 1.

“An opportunity to make an impact on a lot of baseball players and a lot of people back home in Australia, and hopefully change the narrative for baseball there,” Bazzana said.

Bazzana hit .360 over three seasons at Oregon State with 45 homers, 165 RBIs, 180 walks and 66 steals.

Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said the team made its decision Sunday.

“He recognizes pitches exceedingly well,” Antonetti said. “He knows the strike zone, makes good swing decisions, when he does choose to swing makes elite-level contact. And I think what’s really grown in Travis’ game over the past year or so is the ability to add impact and drive the ball.”

Bazzana watched the draft from Oregon State in the rooms where he had been recruited, joined by his parents, brothers and aunts along with coaches and mentors.

“There’s people that have flown all the way from Australia, which is not cheap, nor is it an easy flight,” he said.

He was inspired by Ryan Rowland-Smith and Trent Oeltjen, Australians who had reached MLB.

“They really helped me believe and see this path and get an opportunity at Oregon State, and kind of helped me set no limits on myself,” he said.

Once in college, there wasn’t any pressure to produce.

“No one really expected anything from the Australian kid,” he said.

Baseball’s No. 1 selection this year has a slot value of $10,570,600 under the bonus pools system that began in 2012. Cleveland had the top pick for the first time since the draft began in 1965.

Just 10 high school players were among the 30 first-round picks.

Wake Forest right-hander Chase Burns went second to Cincinnati, while Demon Deacons first baseman Nick Kurtz was the fourth pick for Oakland and third baseman/outfielder Seaver King 10th for Washington. They became the eighth trio of teammates selected in the first round, the first among the top 10 since Rice right-handers Philip Humber, Jeff Niemann and Wade Townsend in 2004.

Burns, 21, was 10-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 191 strikeouts and 30 walks over 100 innings in 16 starts. The Reds took Demon Deacons right-hander Rhett Lowder with the seventh overall selection last year.

Kurtz hit .306 with 22 homers, 57 RBIs and 78 walks, and King batted .308 with 16 homers and 64 RBIs.

Colorado used the third pick on Georgia third baseman Charlie Condon, who started college as a walk-on. Projected first by some, the 6-foot-6 Condon led the NCAA this year with a .433 average and 37 homers. The 21-year-old homered in eight straight games from April 26 to May 9, one shy of the NCAA record, and won the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player.

Arkansas left-hander Hagen Smith, who had Tommy John surgery as a 16-year-old in 2019, was picked fifth by the Chicago White Sox. He went 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA in 16 starts, striking out 161 in 84 innings.

Kansas City went next and took Jac Caglianone, a two-way player from Florida. A first baseman and left-handed pitcher, he hit .419 with 35 homers and 72 RBIs for the Gators this year while going 5-2 with a 4.76 ERA in 16 starts, striking out 83 and walking 50 in 73 2/3 innings.

West Virginia infielder JJ Wetherholt went seventh to St. Louis. The 21-year-old hit .331 with eight homers and 30 RBIs in 36 games, missing 24 games between Feb. 19 and April 5 because of a hamstring injury. He won the Division I batting title as a sophomore in 2023, hitting .449 with 16 homers and 60 RBIs and 36 stolen bases.

Wetherholt attended the draft wearing a black cowboy hat and bolo tie. He quickly put on a Cardinals jersey and cap. Tennessee second baseman Christian Moore, also on site, was taken eighth by the Los Angeles Angels.

Konnor Griffin was the first high school player picked, taken ninth by Pittsburgh. The 18-year-old is a shortstop and outfielder from Jackson Prep in Mississippi.

Florida State outfielder James Tibbs III was taken 13th by San Francisco and Seminoles teammate Cam Smith, a third baseman, went next to the Chicago Cubs.

Mississippi State switch pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje was selected 15th by Seattle. Cijntje was born in the Netherlands, grew up in Curaçao and played in the 2016 Little League World Series. He was drafted in the 18th round by Milwaukee two years ago but went to college.

Cam Caminiti, a cousin of 1996 NL MVP Ken Caminiti, was picked 24th by Atlanta. The 17-year-old left-hander is from Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Teams made the first 74 picks, with the remainder of the 20 rounds on Monday and Tuesday. Cleveland also picked 36th and 48th.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred was booed by the roughly 2,000 fans at Cowtown Coliseum when he emerged on stage through the set’s saloon doors and each time he returned to announce a selection. Spectators booed especially loudly for the selections of the Houston Astros and New York Yankees.

Using the prospect promotion picks they earned when Corbin Carroll and Gunnar Henderson won Rookie of the Year awards, Arizona selected outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt 31st and Baltimore followed by choosing Virginia shortstop Griff O’Ferrall.

Wyatt Sanford, a son of former Pittsburgh and Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Chance Sanford, was taken 47th overall by the Pirates.

Australian second baseman Travis Bazzana taken by Cleveland Guardians with top MLB draft pick (2024)

FAQs

Australian second baseman Travis Bazzana taken by Cleveland Guardians with top MLB draft pick? ›

The Cleveland Guardians selected Australian second baseman Travis Bazzana with the top pick in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft on Sunday, the first time an Aussie has been taken in the first round - let alone with the first overall pick - for the world's premier baseball league.

Did the Cleveland Guardians select Travis Bazzana with the number 1 overall pick? ›

1 overall draft pick Travis Bazzana of Oregon State. CLEVELAND (AP) — Travis Bazzana, the top overall pick in the MLB amateur draft out of Oregon State, signed his first professional contract with the Cleveland Guardians on Friday.

How much money did Travis Bazzana get? ›

Travis Bazzana and his family came to Progressive Field on Friday afternoon as he signed his contract with the Guardians. Sources told MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis that the deal was worth $8,950,000, which is well under the $10,570,000 slot value.

What was the bonus for the Bazzana draft? ›

1 pick in this past week's Major League Baseball draft, according to Jim Callis of MLB.com. Callis reports that Bazzana will receive an $8.95 million signing bonus -- that is, for those wondering, well below the $10.57 million slot value associated with the top pick.

Who did Australia pick in the MLB draft? ›

Australia's Travis Bazzana made Australian sporting history on Monday after being selected as the number one pick in the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft by the Cleveland Guardians.

Why did they pick Guardians for Cleveland? ›

The team's name references the Guardians of Traffic, eight monolithic 1932 Art Deco sculptures by Henry Hering on the city's Hope Memorial Bridge, which is adjacent to Progressive Field.

Who is the Cleveland Guardians top prospect? ›

Current Top Prospects
  • Travis Bazzana. IF / 2B.
  • Chase DeLauter. OF / RF.
  • Ralphy Velazquez. C / 1B.
  • Kyle Manzardo. 1B / DH.
  • Angel Genao. SS / 2B.

How did Guardians get their first pick? ›

How it works: Cleveland won the draft lottery despite just a 2% chance of getting the first overall pick. Each team in the MLB draft is assigned a pool of money for picks. The Guardians have $18.3 million to spend on 21 picks, meaning the less they spend on the No.

What is the highest signing bonus for the MLB draft pick? ›

Signing bonus: $9,250,000

Condon signed with Colorado for the largest Draft bonus in MLB history at $9.25 million. The record deal is tied with what No. 2 pick Chase Burns received from the Reds.

What was the bonus army thrown out of the US Capitol using? ›

President Herbert Hoover then ordered the U.S. Army to clear the marchers' campsite. Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur commanded a contingent of infantry and cavalry, supported by six tanks. The Bonus Army marchers with their wives and children were driven out, and their shelters and belongings burned.

Who was the Guardians number one pick? ›

Guardians No. 1 Draft pick Travis Bazzana makes pro debut.

Has an Australian ever played in the MLB? ›

Mark Hutton | RHP | Adelaide, SA | 1993-1998. Hutton's first appearance came for the New York Yankees on 23 July 1993, making history as the first Aussie to start an MLB game.

Who is the new baseball player in Australia? ›

In an unprecedented moment for Australian baseball, Travis Bazzana, a native of Wahroonga, New South Wales, has been selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft.

Who did the Guardians pick in the draft? ›

Draft 2024: Guardians select 2B Travis Bazzana No.

Bazzana certainly does that, as he hit . 407 for Oregon State this past season after winning the 2023 Cape Cod League batting title with a . 375 average.

Who was the number one pick in the 2003 draft? ›

Draft selections

LeBron James was one of the most anticipated first overall draft picks in the history of any sport. He is the second high school draftee to be a first overall pick, the first being Kwame Brown in 2001, and was followed by Dwight Howard in 2004.

How many home runs does Travis Bazzana have this year? ›

Batting Statistics
YearTeamHR
2022Oregon State6
2023Oregon State11
2024Oregon State28
CareerAll45

Who is number 11 on the Cleveland Guardians? ›

Guardians Roster & Staff
InfieldersB/TDOB
José Ramírez 11 B/T: S/R Ht: 5' 9" Wt: 190 DOB: 09/17/1992S/R09/17/1992
Brayan Rocchio 4 B/T: S/R Ht: 5' 10" Wt: 170 DOB: 01/13/2001S/R01/13/2001
Daniel Schneemann 10 B/T: L/R Ht: 6' 0" Wt: 185 DOB: 01/23/1997L/R01/23/1997
2 more rows

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