CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana was selected first overall by the Cleveland Guardians in the 2024 MLB Draft on Sunday after three years with the Beavers.
Bazzana became the 26th Oregon State player to be drafted in the past five years, with most notable being Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, who was just named to his second MLB All-Star game.
The Australian-born-standout, Bazzana led the Beavers in both hits and home runs, with 87 hits and 28 home runs. His 28 home runs were good enough to rank Top 10 in the country, tied for seventh. Bazzana also ranked Top 10 in the country in batting average, hitting .407.
He became the first Australian and first second baseman taken No. 1.
"An opportunity to make an impact on a lot of baseball players and a lot of people back home in Australia, and hopefully change the narrative for baseball there," Bazzana said.
Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said the team made its decision Sunday.
"He recognizes pitches exceedingly well," Antonetti said. "He knows the strike zone, makes good swing decisions, when he does choose to swing makes elite-level contact. And I think what’s really grown in Travis' game over the past year or so is the ability to add impact and drive the ball."
In March, Bazzana recorded a career-high five hits against Utah, and in May, he hit three home runs in one game against Washington State.
At the end of the year, Bazzana racked up awards, including first team All-American, Pac-12 Player of the Year, Pac-12 batting champion and a spot on the all-conference team.
He helped lead the Beavers to second in the Pac-12 this past season and the Lexington Super Regional games in the NCAA tournament, where they fell to Kentucky in two games.
During the NCAA tournament, he had two home runs and five hits during the Beavers' five games, against Tulane, UC Irvine and Kentucky.
Now Bazzana will head to Cleveland where he will look to follow the lead of Rutschman by quickly making his way through the minor leagues and earning his spot for the Guardians.
Here's a look at other players with ties to the state of Oregon who were drafted in the first five rounds:
Oregon State pitcher Aiden May drafted by Marlins
The Miami Marlins drafted Oregon State pitcher Aiden May on Sunday with the 70th overall pick in competitive balance round B, which came after the conclusion of the second round. May, who transferred to Oregon State for the 2024 season after playing for Arizona in 2023, went 7-1 for the Beavers in 14 starts, finishing with a 3.05 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 84 strikeouts in 73.2 innings pitched.
Portland pitcher Sam Stuhr drafted by Oakland Athletics
With the 137th overall pick in the fifth round, the Oakland Athletics drafted pitcher Sam Stuhr out of the University of Portland. In 2024, Stuhr went 3-2 in 16 starts for the University of Portland. He had 100 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched and finished with a 4.61 ERA and 1.525 WHIP.
Oregon State pitcher Jacob Kmatz drafted by Rays
With the 157th overall pick in the fifth round, the Tampa Bay Rays selected Oregon State pitcher Jacob Kmatz. After playing three years with the Beavers, Kmatz chose to turn pro. Kmatz led Beavers pitchers in starts this season with 16. In 88 innings, Kmatz posted a 3.38 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP while leading Oregon State in strikeouts and holding opposing batters to a .208 batting average. Kmatz performance was enough for him to be named first team all-Pac-12 and named to the all-Pac-12 defensive team.
Players drafted in later rounds
Here's a look at players with ties to Oregon who were drafted after the fifth round:
Seventh round
- 202. Los Angeles Angels: Bridger Holmes, pitcher, Oregon State
- 213. Seattle Mariners: Brock Moore, pitcher, University of Oregon
- 214: Miami Marlins: Nick Brink, pitcher, University of Portland
- 220. Los Angeles Dodgers: Elijah Hainline, shortstop, Oregon State
Thirteenth round
- 383. New York Mets: R.J. Gordon, pitcher, University of Oregon
- 385. Cleveland Guardians: Bennet Thompson, catcher, University of Oregon
- 403. Houston Astros: Bryce Boettcher, outfielder, University of Oregon
Fourteenth round
- 431. Atlanta Braves: Mason Guerra, first baseman, Oregon State
Fifteenth round
- 447. Boston Red Sox: Joey Gartrell, pitcher, University of Portland
Seventeenth round
- 514. Miami Marlins: Micah McDowell, outfielder, Oregon State
Eighteenth round
- 550. Los Angeles Dodgers: Isaac Ayon, pitcher University of Oregon
Ronald Blum of The Associated Press contributed to this report.
