Guardians No. 1 pick Travis Bazzana on a ‘nonstop pursuit’ to better himself as a player, person

A never-ending quest to be the best led to Travis Bazzana being the No.

1 pick by the Guardians in the 2024 MLB draft.

It drove his success on and off the field, and it connected him to the Guardians organization.

It started with being introduced to baseball in his native Australia, leading him to decide he wanted to play professional baseball for a living, and continued by his curiosity of watching the best players and how they became the best.

When I was younger, it was (Mike) Trout, (Bryce) Harper, Miggy (Miguel Cabrera), Albert Pujols, Dustin Pedroia.

Those are some names and then it kind of progressed into Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and Mookie Betts.

The last couple of years it was Corbin Caroll.

...

Gunnar Hendersons one Im big on right now in terms of swings I like watching and trying to understand.

Its been a mix.

Its constantly evolving but most of the guys that are doing good at the big league level will have my eyes and why theyre doing good on what their swing looks like.

The energetic tone of Bazzanas voice perks up a little more when he talks about meeting Jose Ramirez.

His admiration and respect are notable.

Hes such an amazing person.

Hes his own character.

Hes so great at the game, loose but focused.

Its just a perfect combination for someone in the clubhouse because hes intense, gets his work in, and wants the best out of himself every time he goes on the field.

He also has a great sense of humor.

...

I had a blast.

He made batting practice very fun that day and obviously put on a show with his offensive skills.

Bazzanas journey to be the best took him to Drivelines training facility in Washington, 243 miles north of his college home in Corvallis, Oregon.

Instead of playing like a first-round pick in 2023 during his sophomore season, he went to work on his swing and how to lift the ball more and pull it more, to tap into more power and make him a more dangerous hitter, and acquire the skills necessary to be the first overall pick in 2024, and the first-ever second basemen taking No.

1 overall.

The nonstop pursuit of finding the most in myself and as a player and person, Bazzan said.

I wasnt going to be satisfied with where I was at with my sophomore year.

I felt like there was a lot of room left on the table to get better.

There still is and there will continue to be.

I find joy in that constant pursuit for improvement and growth.

Ive been doing that a long time, to the point where I wouldnt stop doing that now if I get to a certain point in my journey.

Im just going to keep taking it day by day but envisioning that kind of growth.

The next step in his pursuit of being the best will be getting professional baseball playoff experience in the form of the Midwest League playoffs over the next two weeks, potentially.

In addition to developing as a player, the Guardians success at the major-league and minor-league levels motivates him and is important to him.

Its huge.

You dont want to walk out of here and its just you, Bazzana said.

Every one of these guys have been playing 100 games.

To play 100 games, give it your all, go through the ups and downs, the struggles, the body hurting.

Theres so many people here that have put in that grind this whole.

So you want to give it your all to the end and really push for a win.

It makes that team aspect of professional baseball rewarding.

Sometimes I think that gets lost.

A lot of player development focuses and a lot of individuals are focused on making it to the big leagues.

I feel like thats what Ive heard across the whole place of professional baseball.

...

Everyone has big-league dreams and sometimes the team stuff will come second to it and I think its important for a good organization like the Guards to have the players step up and care about that.

I think we do have the team that can do that right now here.

Its a really strong squad, so you lose guys to Akron that are really talented, and Akron is going to make a playoff run.

But we have a great team here and Im excited to play playoff baseball because thats what its all about.

After the draft, Bazzana discussed a plan of how he wanted his first (abbreviated) professional season to go with Cleveland.

Some of that might have included more playing time than Cleveland had planned for with first-round picks in the past, and maybe even hopes of a promotion to the majors to help the Guardians with their playoff run.

A big series against the Dayton Dragons, the Captains first-round opponent in the Midwest League playoffs would be a good next step for Cleveland and Bazzanas quest to be the best, improve, and win, and let his talent and work ethic drive himself forward for whatever step might come next in 2024 and beyond..

This article has been shared from the original article on morningjournal, here is the link to the original article.