Guardians' Travis Bazzana receives high praise from MLB prospect insider

Bazzana hit .360 in three seasons at Oregon State before going on to be one of the top prospects in professional baseball.

RubberDucks second baseman Travis Bazzana catches a throw from the catcher as Altoona Curve’s Termarr Johnson slides into second on a stolen base attempt on April 13, 2025, in Akron, Ohio. | Phil Masturzo / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Travis Bazzana is on pace to become one of the most highly regarded prospects in recent history.

Heading into the 2026 MLB season, there's a big chance that the No. 1 selection in the 2024 MLB June Amateur Draft sees major league time. He's developing at a fast pace and is consistently producing at each level of the minor league system, regardless of the situations he's put in, including injuries.

On Monday, Jan. 19, Bazzana received nationwide attention that he rightfully deserved, being listed as the No. 1 second base prospect in baseball. He's also ranked within the Top 50 across all positions as well.

However, even though his sample size of professional baseball is just 111 games and fewer than 500 plate appearances, analysts and insiders alike have been excited to see what he can do when healthy.

One of the most well-known senior writers for the MLB Pipeline, Jim Callis, has been very complimentary of Bazzana. The 23-year-old is coming off a slash line of .245/.389/.424 last season across 84 games in the minor league system.

"[Travis Bazzana] could post production along the lines of what Ketel Marte does for the D-backs," Callis wrote.

"[Travis Bazzana] could post production along the lines of what Ketel Marte does for the D-backs." https://t.co/W4WQIxjqBo's @jimcallisMLB has Travis Bazzana moving like an All-Star infielder for the #Guardians. 😎 pic.twitter.com/k16AHDiqKq

— Guardians Nation (@GuardiansNation) January 20, 2026

The funny thing is, all offseason, the Guardians were rumored to be in the hunt for Marte. The 32-year-old was reportedly unhappy with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but following the addition of veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado, Marte seems like he'll be staying put.

On a six-year, $116.5 million deal, his contract would've taken up a big chunk of Cleveland's books, which is why sticking with Bazzana instead might end up working out, especially if he does have similar tools.

It's nice to see Bazzana receive the praise he deserves, especially when compared to a big-league All-Star, but it also places a bit more pressure on him. He'll need to show that he can stay on the field and get a full season of action under his belt before he's deemed the "next best thing" on the diamond.

The expectations for Bazzana in 2026

Since joining the organization, he's played with the Rookie ball team, High-A Lake County Captains, the Double-A Akron Rubberducks and Triple-A Columbus Clippers, earning quick promotions on every stop.

Last season, he was one of the most exciting prospects in all of baseball to watch, knocking 17 doubles, five triples and nine home runs for 39 RBIs. He also stole 12 bases. Defensively, he played nearly all of his time at second base, posting a 98.4% fielding mark with four errors, three of which occurred in Double-A.

Dealing with the transition from college to the pros hasn't really caused many issues for him, but with time, he's going to look even more polished.

He was dealing with a lingering oblique injury, which initially knocked him off the field in May, followed by soreness, pushing him off the field later down the line in September. Hopefully, the offseason allowed him to get up to speed and be ready for a new season.

He may not get a shot in the majors in 2026, at least not right away, but analysts and insiders believe he could be a really successful infielder for Cleveland in the future.

here’s 2 minutes and 19 seconds of travis bazzana being the best 2B prospect in baseball https://t.co/dlnolDvuXp pic.twitter.com/TvaTfcdwNk

— Lake County Captains (@LCCaptains) January 19, 2026

The first chance to see Bazzana in action will be in the Guardians' 2026 MLB Spring Training window. It's set to begin on Saturday, Feb. 21, against the Cincinnati Reds with first pitch set for 3:05 p.m. EST.

While he'll more than likely get a good chunk of playing time, he's expected to be pulled away at some point due to his participation in the World Baseball Classic. Bazzana is set to play for Team Australia.

Both opportunities will help him play with high-level athletes and prepare for the 2026 minor league season, and maybe eventually, the majors.