GOODYEAR, Arizona, March 5, 2025 — For most players, spring training is a chance to compete for a starting job or continue working on mechanical changes or new approaches crafted during the off-season. However, for a handful of young prospects like Travis Bazzana, it’s the first opportunity to get an up close look at what it truly means to be a big leaguer.
Bazzana, the top pick in last year’s MLB Draft and 10th-ranked prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, is in training camp with the Cleveland Guardians as part of their minor league camp, or what the Guardians refer to as “depth camp.”
“Depth camp, from what I understand, might differ around MLB organizations,” explained Bazzana. “But the way the Guardians do it is that I will be in the minor league clubhouse and stretch with the minor leaguers and practice, but then there’ll be meetings where we’ll be a part of the Major League group. There are different days where we’ll train with the Major League group, and then you’re the first people that get those extra innings when someone needs to come out [of a game]. So you’re ready to play in the Major League game, but often practicing with the minor league side.”
Even though he’s not with the Major League players every day, the exposure to big league players this spring has been instrumental in Bazzana’s education as a professional. The 22-year-old was a standout at Oregon State, hitting .360 with an 1.157 OPS during his three seasons with 45 home runs, 165 RBI, and 66 stolen bases, which included a .407/.568/.911 slash line with 28 home runs and a 76/37 K/BB ratio in his final season. However, it’s one thing to be a leader in college and another to be one in pro ball.
“It’s kind of cool to get out there on the same field as big league guys and compete at that level,” said Bazzana. “I think there’s a lot to take from the big league players and staff because they all have their reasonings for their routines. The way they go about things and the way they carry themselves, you can kind of learn from lots of different people. One of the things I’m picking up from some of the clubhouse leaders is how they’re there for the guys in the dugout in different ways. Hedgey, Kwan, David Fry. They’re just really good at keeping the vibes and energy right, and really good at bringing out the best in their teammates.”
Keeping “vibes” right and being in the right mental headspace is a major focus for Bazzana this off-season.
“The more you play the game, the more you learn just how important the mental side of the game is,” he reflected. “That first period when I got to pro ball, I had to kind of reset myself. It’s still the same game, but you’re in a different environment, so it’s learning that, no matter the environment, no matter the externals, how can you get back to your best approach in the box on offense. Sometimes a new environment can make you see things differently or go about things in a different way, so it was about just learning, how do I get back to my optimal performance state before I get on the field?”
Bazzana’s 2024 pro ball results were not optimal on the surface. The 22-year-old hit .238 in 27 games at High-A with three home runs, 12 RBI, five steals, and a .765 OPS. Those certainly are not bad numbers for a player in their first taste of pro ball, especially since Bazzana sported a solid OPS and stole some bases even without an ideal batting average. The early adjustment period also was a good learning experience for him.
“Obviously, the level of play improves, and so it’s like, how do I get back to just peaking mentally? Because physically, the skills got you to a place…I had to understand how to prepare for certain pitches that are better in pro ball. You spend so much time in the same environment in college that when you get thrown into a new environment, you’ve gotta get back to the same game, same plans, routine. I do this thing for a living. I think that just was just a small period of time for me where I was like, ‘Oh, I gotta evolve.’”
One of the ways that the Australian native is preparing to evolve the most is in his focus on his health and fitness. Not only is the step up in competition from college to the pros a big one, but preparing your body to handle the grind of a 162-game season is a major change from the 60-plus game college seasons.
“He’s a confident kid, and that’s what you’d figure, being the 1.1,” explained Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. “At the same time, nothing prepares you to play every day. I don’t care what college you play for, you’re going to play four days a week, and getting your mind wrapped around what it’s like to play six or seven games a week is tough for anybody.”
However, it seems to be a challenge that Bazzana is embracing.
“I’m just trying to prepare myself to be the healthiest and best player for a full season,” he explained. “In a 60-game college season, you can get away with a little more. I felt like I was locked in on that front and doing the right things, but you don’t want to miss on certain things in a full 162-game season. If you go out there and you’re under-recovered and you make that hard sprint, then you pull something.”
That has led Bazzana to the realization that being on the field is the most valuable attribute you can bring to your team. Yet, being available takes a different level of work than it did in college. A major part of that has to do with the never-ending nature of a professional baseball schedule.
“You play a high-intent game, you get home late, you’re still kind of up from the game, and you’ve got to get to sleep and back at it. You’re at the field almost right after you wake up. You eat and go to the field the next day. It’s over and over, so I think just making the most of your downtime, being more consistent and continuing to understand how your body works and what’s the best routines and protocols for you to feel ready and just get back to performing.”
So far, Bazzana’s limited spring training game at-bats have been good. He’s just 1-for-7, but his one hit was a loud home run, and he’s also drawn three walks while striking out three times, so his coaches have been impressed with his approach at the plate. Yet, success against major league players or older minor leaguers is not something Bazzana is taking too much time to focus on.
“The feelings of doing a cool thing like that come in the moment,” Bazzana said of his spring training home run, “but it’s not really about deliberating on that more. It kind of shifts pretty quickly to ‘How can I do that the next day? When’s my next opportunity and how can I make the most of that?’”
That mindset is something that has impressed his manager and led to continued growth for Bazzana this spring. “Travis’s at-bats have been great, said Vogt. “I mean, the home run is fun, but the defensive side has really been what stood out to me for Travis. That’s something that he’s put a lot of work in with our coaching staff.”
In fact, according to Bazzana, he knew before the 2024 MLB Draft even began that the Guardians had a detailed plan in place to turn him into a high-quality MLB defender. While he was not a poor defender in college, some of the scouting reports questioned his athletic upside and whether or not he would have the range necessary to make the more difficult plays at the big league level. Yet, much like with everything in his limited pro ball experience, Bazzana has embraced the challenge head-on.
“As soon as I got to Lake County (the Guardians’ High-A affiliate), it was go time,” he remembers. “Let’s have intention with the work defensively every single day. We’ve just been hammering down on [the plan]. My arm strength is cleaned up. My arm path on certain plays is more efficient, so I can get to good carry when I go to the my backhand side, or I’m just faster with my transfers on double plays. There are just different things that we’re going about every single day with the work, and I’m starting to feel more confident in different plays and doing some things I’ve never done.”
For Bazzana, that defensive growth will go a long way towards dictating how his 2025 season goes. Some experts, like MLB Pipeline’s senior writer Jim Callis, have predicted that Bazzana has a good chance to reach the big leagues this season after the Guardians traded away starting second baseman Andres Gimenez in the off-season; however, that’s not front of mind for the Guardians or Bazzana himself.
“Wherever I am [this season], I just want to be the best winner and teammate I can be,” said Bazzana. “Just enjoying the game, having the passion I have always had, and just going out and doing that every day. I mean, Andres moving, he’s a pretty incredible player, and I don’t think it had anything to do with me. There are incredible players playing second base [here in camp]. I think it’s just business.”
As Vogt mentioned, the focus this season for Bazzana is not on how quickly he can make it to the big league but on learning how to play every day for a full season. That will mean starting the year in the minor leagues and then proving that he can be both a valuable offensive player and a defender at each level of competition.
“The org and I kind of came to an agreement; we’re gonna do everything we can, working in partner with each other, to be the best defensive second baseman I can be,” explained Bazzana. “Obviously, the hitting stuff, you’ve always shown that, but if we can bring together both, then you’re going to be very valuable, and I see that. They see that, and the work has been quality, so I just hope to continue that.”
At the end of the day, that continued work and day-in-day-out grind is the primary focus for Bazzana for the remainder of the spring. Vogt acknowledged that “he’s going to continue to get playing time every couple of days,” but the whole organization knows that none of those spring at-bats is going to impact what Bazzana’s 2025 season looks like. He just wants to come out of these weeks in Arizona knowing that he “learned something and got better.” The rest will take care of itself.
“I have high expectations on how I’ll perform, ” he admitted. “As long as I go out and play my game and perform, moving up, or whatever it is, will take care of itself. If I’m bringing value to the game, someone’s gonna want that value. If I go out and play how I think I can play, there’s a time and a place where I’ll provide value at levels above, where I’ll start, but I just got to enjoy it and do what I can.”
Judging by his approach to these early weeks of spring training, Guardians fans are going to enjoy what Travis Bazzana is doing for many years to come.
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