CLEVELAND (AP) — Travis Bazzana wasn't concerned when he began his major league career by going hitless in 12 at-bats. The Cleveland Guardians rookie felt that if he maintained his consistent approach, the hits would start coming.
That has certainly been the case over the past week.
Bazzana, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 amateur draft, hit his first big league home run and stole two bases in Cleveland's 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.
“I was just hoping. Today, there was no wind so it carried out. I got it good. I just hustled and tried to yell it out,” Bazzana said.
With José Ramírez on first and two outs in the first inning, Bazzana connected on a 1-1 slider from Minnesota's Connor Prielipp to make it 4-0. The 427-foot drive went into the Guardians’ bullpen in center field. It was the second-longest homer by a Guardians player this season.
Bazzana was the first Australian-born player to be the top overall pick in the draft and became the 10th Aussie to homer in the majors. According to Baseball Reference, Joe Quinn was the first in 1886 for the St. Louis Maroons. Dave Nilsson, who played eight seasons for the Milwaukee Brewers, has the most with 105 from 1992 through '99.
Bazzana is one of two Aussies currently in the big leagues. Curtis Mead is in his fourth major league season and has gone deep four times this year for the Washington Nationals.
Bazzana wasn't satisfied with just the homer. He got aboard in the eighth inning by beating out what would have been an inning-ending double-play ball. He then stole second and third base before scoring on a base hit by Austin Hedges to put the Guardians up 6-3.
“He’s been pushing the pace since he’s gotten here. He looks comfortable. Looks like he belongs and he crushed that ball tonight,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said.
Bazzana is 6 for 18 with four RBIs since going hitless in his first 12 big league at-bats. He also leads MLB with six stolen bases since May 2.
The six steals are the most by a Cleveland player in his first nine games since Alex Cole had 10 in 1990.
Guardians' left-hander Parker Messick, who allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings, described Bazzana as an animal because he is not afraid to show his emotion.
“I love that he would describe me that way,” Bazzana said about Messick's comment. “So yeah, when I’m in a controlled aggression, that’s like when I'm at my best and showed a little bit of that tonight.”
Even though Bazzana is showing signs of production the past week, he said he has been comfortable since being called up from Triple-A Columbus on April 28.
“Honestly, it’s kind of felt the same from the get-go. I felt really good. I was squaring the ball up. I was taking my walks. If I’m swinging at good pitches and squaring the ball up, over time, good things are going to happen,” he said. “I felt like I was in control of my at-bats early on, so everything’s kind of felt the same.
“I finally got a ball kind of in the air where I wanted it today, but I’m in a good place offensively and just sometimes balls go at guys and just got to stick with it, stay healthy and keep finding my ball flight and I’ll be good.”
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