A ball cap sports the Cleveland Guardians logo in the third inning of the MLB Inter-league game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Guardians at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. Sam Greene / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cleveland Guardians Prospect Accomplished Major First On Thursday

Originally posted on Minor League Baseball on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 2:15 PM ET

The Cleveland Guardians have fallen out of postseason contention. They are 69-70 and sit 11 games back of the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central. They are still only 3 1/2 games back of the third and final Wild Card spot, currently held by the Seattle Mariners, buth they have four teams to jump over just to get to that spot.

However, the future appears to be bright for manager Stephen Vogt's club. Down in the minor leagues, things appear to be going pretty well.

Infielder Travis Bazzana was Cleveland's first round pick in 2024 out of Oregon State University. He made his professional debut this year. On Thursday, he hit his first home run with Triple-A Colombus Jesse Borek of MLB.com recently discussed Bazzana's strong performance.

Guardians Top Prospect Accomplishes Major First

"If you’re going to hit your first homer at a new level, you might as well save it for the most dramatic moment possible! Bazzana certainly did that for Triple-A Columbus, clobbering a walk-off two-run homer (while clad in a uniform that gave a nod to the NHL’s Blue Jackets) before emphatically turning to his dugout in celebration. The wallop capped a three-hit night, his first since arriving at the Minors’ highest level last month. The first overall pick in the 2024 Draft has shown a patient eye in 20 games with the Clippers," Borek wrote.

Heading into Friday's action, Bazzana is hitting .244/.385/.403 with six home runs, 33 RBI and a .788 OPS. The power hasn't quite come for him, but he hit 28 home runs last season at Oregon State and he was promptly taken by the Guardians in the first round of the draft.

If he can finish strong, he might be able to pick up some momentum towards making his Major League debut next season. He provides power from the left side of the plate and can play second base, left field and center field.

The Guardians need some more offense if they want to make it back to the postseason in 2026, and having Bazzana in their lineup could give them a major boost. He likely won't make his debut this season, but he has certainly made some major strides and is setting himself up for success in the future.

We'll see what the rest of 2025 has in store for him.

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This article first appeared on Minor League Baseball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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