The Cleveland Guardians made some history on Sunday with their selection in the MLB Draft.
The Guardians selected Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana with the No. 1 overall pick. In doing so, they made the Bazzana the first Australian-born player to be selected in the first round of the draft.
Travis Bazzana goes first overall! An incredible player, Bazzana — who started his ball playing career as a cricket player — is the first Australian to ever go in the first round.
— Michael Clair (@michaelsclair) July 14, 2024
Bazzana was born in Sydney and actually started his athletic career playing cricket. He excelled at that, too: according to his Oregon State bio, he captained Turramurra High School to its first ever state championship. He chose to play collegiately at Oregon State, where he became an immediate contributor. Eventually, he evolved into a Golden Spikes Award finalist in 2024 and also garnered first-team All-American honors while hitting .407 as a junior.
Australia has produced its share of MLB players, but none were ever drafted in the first round, much less first overall. The Guardians will be hoping he can contribute to their middle infield for years to come.
