Guardians' Travis Bazzana establishing himself as real contributor

Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Guardians rookie Travis Bazzana establishing himself as real contributor

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated May 24, 2026 6:37 PM ET

Travis Bazzana is making a significant impact as a rookie for the Cleveland Guardians. The 23-year-old hit his third home run of the season in deep right field on Sunday.

His massive moonshot in the eighth inning helped power past the Philadelphia Phillies in a 3-1 victory. He also went 3-for-4 in the game, showcasing his elite contact skills.

On the season, Bazzana is batting .294 with an .824 OPS. He is also consistently drawing walks (13 % walk rate), is a base-stealing threat ( 7 stolen bases), and has demonstrated that he's a reliable leadoff hitter.

With just 100 plate appearances under his belt, his undeniable raw power makes him a future rising star. He's proven to be a clutch hitter in the minors, and this has transitioned to the MLB level.

Bazzana Bomb

2nd among qualified AL rookies in OPS this seasonpic.twitter.com/mL2Hz4M83P
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) May 24, 2026

Travis Bazzana is the real deal

He's been locked in at the plate, boasting an OBP of .400, tied for third among MLB rookies.

His seamless transition and quick rise through the system to the big leagues have shown how he has emerged as a critical table-setter in the lineup.

Bazzana is, in fact, the first Cleveland player to sport a .400+ OBP with at least one home run across his first 24 career games since Hall of Famer Earl Averill achieved the feat in 1929.

Across his last 21 games, he has hit .329 with a .414 OBP, along with two doubles and 10 RBI. Bazzana is settling in as a young, dynamic duo with Chase DeLauter.

The Guardians remain in first in the AL Central, cementing their status as the powerful leaders of the division.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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