CLEVELAND -- Travis Bazzana watched as many MLB games as he could growing up in Australia, where the time difference stood as a hurdle for a kid who dreamed of playing in The Show one day. He was undeterred, including when it came to watching playoff action.
One MLB postseason memory that comes to his mind is one that included a lot of heartbreak for those in Northeast Ohio.
“I remember watching that whole World Series in '16 in class,” said Bazzana, who was 14 years old then. “I probably shouldn't have been watching it, but sneaking ways to watch baseball.
“I remember the last inning, the last out. Those things kind of stick in my mind.”
Cleveland secured its eighth postseason berth in the past 11 years this season, and, 10 years after its loss in the Fall Classic, once again has a chance at glory. The Guardians will open their slate on Saturday, in Game 1 of the AL Division Series against the White Sox.
In 2016, Bazzana was the kid sneaking peeks at the Fall Classic in school on the other side of the world. In 2026, he could play a major role for the Guardians as they push for the franchise’s first World Series title since 1948.
“We’ve just gotta take it one day at a time,” Bazzana said. “But we all understand the opportunity we have to bring something to the city of Cleveland that they've waited a long time for. They're behind us fully, and we're just going to walk in and give it everything we got.”
Bazzana will join some exclusive company along the way. There have been just seven Australian-born players to suit up in the MLB postseason, in pitchers Grant Balfour (20 games), Graeme Lloyd (13), Liam Hendriks (11), Peter Moylan (four), Damian Moss (two) and Josh Hendrickson.
Bazzana will join Red Sox first baseman Curtis Mead (two games) as the only position players to do so. For all he has experienced this season, the biggest stage of them all awaits.
“He's just a ball of energy for our team when we need it most every single day,” Guardians Game 1 starter Parker Messick said. “It's going to be fun to watch him in the playoffs.”
This has already been an eventful year for Bazzana. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft represented his home country at the World Baseball Classic. He made his MLB debut on April 28, and became the second Australian-born position player to earn MLB All-Star honors in July.
Bazzana logged a .245/.335/.408 slash line with 22 doubles, 15 home runs and 57 RBIs over 124 games this season. He carried the Guardians’ lineup for stretches. He also experienced lulls like any rookie. It was all part of the learning curve of a guy playing at the highest level for the first time.
Bazzana said one of his biggest takeaways from this season is how the days, even the individual plays, can compound quickly. He noted one of the most valuable skills for a player or team is having things that anchor you to your success.
“I'm still working through that and trying to become more consistent,” Bazzana said. “It's like, ‘What are the things that you do well and what are the things the team does well? When it starts to trend downhill, how can you flip back into those things and feel confident and calm when you go out there to then execute what you've worked on your whole life?'”
Bazzana had a rough August. Over 22 games, he had a .566 OPS, which was his lowest over a single month this season. The Guardians' doubleheader sweep of the Tigers on Sept. 4 was a potential turning point. Bazzana hit a game-tying home run in the nightcap and a walk-off single.
Bazzana acknowledged that night how he had been trying to “figure it all out,” through his struggles, and needed a game like that to get out of his head. He ultimately slashed .280/.365/.613 with five doubles, six home runs and 15 RBIs over 23 games in September.
“The cool part for me is that when it mattered, when the heat got turned up, so to speak, he answered,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “He's come through for us. He's been a big part of why we're here, and we couldn't have asked anything more from Travis.
“I'm really excited to watch him play some postseason baseball.”