Experts Urge Parents: Don't Hold Back Your Prodigy's Rise

The baseball world is split regarding Cleveland Guardians prospect Travis Bazzana and his projected arrival date.

Many think that following his strikeout issues during more than 25% of his at-bats last season in High-A, the team ought to proceed cautiously with their top prospect. This approach would allow him to work on improving his batting skills in a less pressure-filled setting.

Some believe that Cleveland should expedite his promotion to the major leagues due to his impressive performance at Oregon State and his outstanding showing in 2024 with a 126 wRC+ in High-A.

The Guardians moved him up to Double-A, where he has been performing exceptionally well from the beginning.

In 15 at-bats, he has accumulated seven hits: five singles, one double, and one homerun, resulting in an impressive 1.446 OPS.

Following his impressive performance against Double-A pitchers in his initial three games, with poise reminiscent of an experienced vet, both supporters and certain journalists are keen to witness Bazzana make his move once he’s back in action.

They don’t want any type of service time manipulation.

"I've revised my position regarding Travis Bazzana. Initially, I thought it best to maintain his rookie status for an upcoming PPI draft selection next year. However, should the team require additional support midway through the season and Bazzana performs strongly in Columbus, he could be brought up. The Guardians can’t afford to squander the opportunity presented by having Jose Ramirez on their current roster," wrote Willie Hood of the Guardians' prospect coverage on X.

Definitely not three games are sufficient to conclude whether Bazzana can manage upper-minor league pitching or not.

It would take him at least a month there, possibly longer.

Following May or June, should the skilled infielder continue his impressive performance, he could find himself moving up to Triple-A.

It’s uncertain whether he’ll make it to the majors, but if there’s no doubt that he'll be prepared sometime between July and August, the Guardians won’t have an option but to call him up.

Hood is spot-on in one part of his analysis: there is no point in wasting another year of Jose Ramirez’s dwindling prime (he will turn 33 later in the year) if Bazzana is ready to be his sidekick.