Top-ranked Cleveland Guardians prospect still a work in progress

When the Cleveland Guardians made Travis Bazzana the first overall pick of the 2024 MLB June Amateur Draft, it instantly put him at the top of the list of potential future impact players for the organization. As Cleveland's top-ranked prospect, the expectations of what Bazzana could provide down the line became sky-high, and understandably so.

The Guardians lucked into the first overall pick in 2024 and have added a highly regarded college bat into their minor league system, suggesting his time in non-major league play could be brief. However, based on his performance for Double-A Akron, Bazzana might have to wait a while before he makes his Major League Debut for the Guardians.

The 22-year-old infielder is slashing .257/.344/.425 with four doubles, three triples, and three home runs in 28 games for the RubberDucks this season. These specific numbers are to be expected from Bazzana, so there is nothing to be necessarily worried about when it comes to a young player playing his first full minor league season. Bazzana's strikeout frequency, on the other hand, is a different story entirely.

Bazzana has struck out 35 times in 128 plate appearances, which amounts to a 27.3% strikeout rate, slightly higher than the 25.4% rate he posted in a similar sample size at Lake County last season. (122 plate appearances in 27 games). For comparison, Bazzana struck out just over 16% of the time in his three years at Oregon State. An increase in strikeout frequency is somewhat expected, but to be up around 10% is not necessarily the most encouraging development here.

It is still a very small sample size for a still developing player in both data sets, but the strikeout rate going up the way it has is concerning. The uptick from college to A-Ball and again once in Double-A suggests that the learning curve for Bazzana might be a little bit steeper than initially anticipated. This means the time that Bazzana spends in the minors could be longer than most assumed, and that could pose a potential problem.

Cleveland traded Andres Gimenez to the Toronto Blue Jays this past winter. This was both a cost-cutting move, as Gimenez's salary on his seven-year contract continues to increase, in addition to clearing a spot on the major league roster for Bazzana once he is ready. Right now, it just seems like the time when is indeed ready will be much later than anyone thought.

Bazzana will need to cut down on his strikeout frequency, as well as improving his overall batting line before he gets his shot in the majors. This means that the hopeful arrival date of 2025 may be a little too ambitious at this time. Now, Bazzana could make his official debut late in September sometime, but those wanting to see him play a meaningful role for the Guardians may have to wait a little bit longer before he gets his chance to do so.

The Guardians have managed to get by this season for the most part at second base, with Gabriel Arias and Daniel Schneemann being the primary options for playing time. It certainly appears that Cleveland will continue to have some combination of these to handle second base duties until someone else (possibly Bazzana) proves worthy of bumping them for playing time.