Guardians Make Big Decision With Former No. 1 Overall Draft Pick
The Cleveland Guardians dropped to 15-15 on the season with a 3-2 loss at home to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.
Starting pitcher Parker Messick tossed 5.2 innings with nine strikeouts and just one run in another stellar outing, but the Cleveland offense was missing in the loss.
The Rays scored a pair of runs in the eighth inning to get the win.
After the game, the Guardians made a major decision, calling up former No. 1 pick Travis Bazzana, via Jeff Passan of ESPN.
"The Cleveland Guardians are calling up former No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana, sources tell ESPN. Bazzana, 23, hit .287/.422/.511 in 24 Triple-A games this season and will take over at second base for a Guardians team that's a half-game back of first in the AL Central," Passan wrote.
Bazzana is the No. 1 prospect in the Guardians organization and ranked No. 16 in the top 100 by Baseball America, so this is a big move for the franchise.
Bazzana was selected first overall in the 2024 MLB June Amateur Draft and he also played for Team Australia in this year's World Baseball Classic.
Travis Bazzana with a 110.1 mph laser for his second roundtripper of the year.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 23, 2026
The @CleGuardians' No. 1 prospect has gone deep twice in four games and has a .910 OPS for the Triple-A @CLBClippers. pic.twitter.com/ZFvmpZ5Nfw
Bazzana has risen quickly through the minor leagues and is now going to make his MLB debut, not even two years after being drafted.
Can Bazzana Fix the Second Base Problem?
As Passan reported, Bazzana is coming in to take over as the second baseman in Cleveland.
So far, Juan Brito has been the primary second baseman, but he is hitting just .176 with three RBI in 15 games.
On Monday, Daniel Schneemann, who is listed as an outfielder, got the start and went 1-for-4 with a home run.
The second base position took a hit when Opening Day shortstop Gabriel Arias was injured and Brayan Rocchio moved to short, so the hope is that Bazzana can come in and show why he was the top pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
The Guardians face the Rays on Tuesday night, and barring a surprise, Bazzana should be in the lineup and at second base.
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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 7:05 PM.