Guardians tie down No.1 pick Bazzana in $13.4m deal
Travis Bazzana, the No 1 pick, has joined the Cleveland Guardians, signing a deal worth $13.4 million before being formally introduced by the franchise.
Bazzana was selected first overall from Oregon State in the 2024 MLB Draft last week. The value of the No.1 pick draft slot was over $15 million, and the Cincinnati Reds’ agreement with No. 2 pick Chase Burns was for a total of $13.8 million.
The 2024 Pac-12 Player of the Year, Bazzana batted .407 with 28 homers and 66 RBIs for the Beavers, who advanced to a super regional as the No. 15 national seed before losing a three-game series at second-seeded Kentucky.
Bazzana is the first second baseman, and first Australian, to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick. He set an Oregon State single-season record by scoring 84 runs and slugging .911 in 2024.
he also stole 16 bases and boasted a .568 on-base percentage last season, earning consensus first-team All-America status.
Bazzana grew up a keen cricketer and even captained his Turramurra High School team to their first ever state championship.
He started playing baseball in primary school and after making the switch from cricket at 15.
As a 15-year-old, Bazzana was by far the youngest in the Australian Baseball League when he made his debut for the Sydney Blue Sox in 2018.
He then made the move to America to play college baseball for the Oregon Beavers,
It was the first time that Cleveland have the top overall selection. They earned it after winning the draft lottery despite not having the worst regular-season record last year.
#Guardians #tie #No.1 #pick #Bazzana #13.4m #deal