Travis Bazzana Has Shown He’s Ready for a Jump to Guardians' Major League Roster

There's a very real chance that Travis Bazzana ends up in the major leagues in 2026.

The talented infielder out of Oregon State has begun to show signs of maturity far past his age, adapting to the Guardians' system and welcoming challenges that come his way. Back in 2025, the former No. 1 overall selection battled through two different injuries in hopes of remaining on a consistent timeline for development.

He finished the year playing 84 total games across Rookie Ball, Double-A and Triple-A action, showing very few signs of concern at each spot. He averaged a season slashing line of .245/.389/.424.

Bazzana's biggest eye-grabber is his ability to get on base. Yes, he's got a knack for hitting with power and flying around the base paths, but his keen eye is something that's exciting as he slowly climbs to a potential major league appearance in the next year or two.

In college, he averaged out to a near .500 on-base percentage, carrying that into a near .400 in the minors. There's been a slight drop, but being able to draw walks and get on base at that high of a clip is still impressive.

Recently, Bazzana appeared on the NxtGen Baseball podcast and talked about how he's slowly starting to try to put himself in a major league headspace. This type of mental practice will allow him to be ready when he eventually gets the call that he'll be joining the team at Progressive Field.

“It’s just making the habits, making the routine of making the quality decision," Bazzana said. "I can sit on my phone this afternoon, or I can do what I put on my wall, and throw and hit. I can drink the soda, or I can drink the water. I can go to sleep on time, or I can stay up until 1 a.m. and play video games.

"Would a big leaguer make this decision?"

Travis Bazzana shared the habits he built to further his development as a player.

“It’s just making the habits, making the routine of making the quality decision. I can sit on my phone this afternoon, or I can do what I put on my wall, and throw and hit. I can drink the soda, or… pic.twitter.com/2c5LmEOoeY
— Guardians Nation (@GuardiansNation) February 4, 2026

2026 MLB Spring Training

Bazzana was fortunate enough to receive an invite to this year's spring training camp.

After putting up respectable numbers last season, he's received praise from the front office with hopes that he can end up developing with the major league coaching staff and group of players that have legitimate big-league experience. He'll get the chance to sport an infield alongside players like José Ramírez and Brayan Rocchio, two who are expected to be staples for the organization in the coming years.

The big question for Bazzana is how he will look. He's going to be under a pretty big spotlight, with the hope that he doesn't crumble. After all, he is just 23 years old, and such high of pressure may end up causing him to falter at times.

If he doesn't, though, that may be all Cleveland needs to see to decide whether or not he'll be given a shot in the majors at some point in 2026.

While he doesn't need much more time to develop, 2026 could be a year that solidifies just how good he is. The major league roster could also weed out the struggles and give him a better stage to enter on with so many current question marks surrounding some of the players that'll get reps early in the season.

The first chance to see Bazzana back in action will be on Saturday, Feb. 21, against the Cincinnati Reds. First pitch between the Guardians and Reds is slated for 3:05 p.m. EST.