FORT WORTH, Texas — Australian second baseman Travis Bazzana was taken by the Cleveland Guardians with the No. 1 choose in Main League Baseball’s newbie draft Sunday, and three gamers from Wake Forest have been chosen within the high 10.
A former cricket, rugby and soccer participant who got here to the USA to play baseball for Oregon State, the 21-year-old hit .407 with 28 homers and 66 RBIs this season. He grew to become the primary Australian and first second baseman taken No. 1.
“A chance to make an influence on quite a lot of baseball gamers and lots of people again dwelling in Australia, and hopefully change the narrative for baseball there,” Bazzana mentioned.
Bazzana hit .360 over three seasons at Oregon State with 45 homers, 165 RBIs, 180 walks and 66 steals.
Editor’s Picks
2 Associated
Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti mentioned the group made its choice Sunday.
“He acknowledges pitches exceedingly effectively,” Antonetti mentioned. “He is aware of the strike zone, makes good swing selections, when he does select to swing makes elite-level contact. And I feel what’s actually grown in Travis’ recreation over the previous 12 months or so is the flexibility so as to add influence and drive the ball.”
Baseball’s No. 1 choice this 12 months had a slot worth of $10,570,600 beneath the bonus swimming pools system that started in 2012.
Cleveland had the highest choose for the primary time because the draft started in 1965, profitable a weighted lottery in December regardless of having a 2% likelihood. The lottery started final 12 months as a part of a collective bargaining settlement provision to discourage struggling groups from intentionally attempting for a high draft choose by eliminating veterans.
Wake Forest right-hander Chase Burns went second to Cincinnati, first baseman Nick Kurtz was fourth to Oakland and third baseman/outfielder Seaver King tenth to Washington.
Burns, 21, was 10-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 191 strikeouts and 30 walks over 100 innings in 16 begins. The Reds took Demon Deacons right-hander Rhett Lowder with the seventh total choice final 12 months.
Colorado selected Georgia third baseman Charlie Condon with the third choose. Projected first by some, the 6-foot-6 Condon led the NCAA this 12 months with a .433 common and 37 homers. The 21-year-old homered in eight straight video games from April 26 to Could 9, one shy of the NCAA report, and gained the Golden Spikes Award as the highest newbie baseball participant.
Kurtz hit .306 with 22 homers, 57 RBIs and 78 walks.
Arkansas left-hander Hagen Smith, who had Tommy John surgical procedure as a 16-year-old in 2019, was picked fifth by the Chicago White Sox. He went 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA in 16 begins, placing out 161 in 84 innings.
Kansas Metropolis used the sixth choose on Jac Caglianone, a two-way participant from Florida. A primary baseman and left-handed pitcher, he hit .419 with 35 homers and 72 RBIs for the Gators this 12 months whereas going 5-2 with a 4.76 ERA in 16 begins, placing out 83 and strolling 50 in 73 2/3 innings.
West Virginia infielder JJ Wetherholt went seventh to St. Louis. The 21-year-old hit .331 with eight homers and 30 RBI in 36 video games, lacking 24 video games between Feb. 19 and April 5 due to a hamstring harm. He gained the Division I batting title as a sophomore in 2023, hitting .449 with 16 homers and 60 RBIs and 36 stolen bases.
Wetherholt attended the draft carrying a black cowboy hat and bolo tie, however he shortly placed on a Cardinals jersey and cap. Tennessee second baseman Christian Moore, additionally on website, was taken eighth by the Los Angeles Angels.
Konnor Griffin was the primary highschool participant picked, taken ninth by Pittsburgh. The 18-year-old is a shortstop and outfielder from Jackson Prep in Mississippi.
King batted .308 with 16 homers and 64 RBIs.
Groups have been to make the primary 74 picks Sunday on the Cowtown Coliseum, with the rest of the 20 rounds on Monday and Tuesday. Cleveland additionally picked thirty sixth and forty eighth.
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred was booed by the roughly 2,000 followers available when he emerged on stage by the set’s saloon doorways.