Guardians GM isn’t setting ‘timetable’ for top prospect’s potential MLB debut

The Cleveland Guardians have one of the best prospects in baseball in infielder Travis Bazzana. Bazzana — the 2024 No. 1 overall pick — is MLB’s No. 20 overall prospect. His MLB ETA is set for 2026, but the Guardians are hesitant to place any “timetables” on prospect’s potential MLB debuts. Bazzana — who is from Australia — is also set to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic with Team Australia, which means he will miss part of camp with the Guardians this spring.

“We’re excited about Travis’ future,” Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff said during a recent appearance on Foul Territory. “This is a guy who, we met with him pre-draft before we took him… I’ve never met a player in my 23 years here with this type of mindset. I mean, this guy is so focused on improvement, getting the most out of his ability he possibly can. And he showed that every step of the way. He had a couple of injury setbacks last year with his oblique that sort of slowed down his timeframe, but when he was healthy he was good. We’re excited about what his future can bring.

“He’s going to go play in the WBC with Team Australia. It was hugely important to him even thinking about this several years ago that if he had a chance to represent his country, he would want to do that. So, that will take him out of camp a little bit. Once he gets back, we will make sure we get him in games, see where things go. We don’t ever set timetables on players.”

As Chernoff mentioned, Bazzana dealt with some injury trouble last year. He appeared in three different levels of the minor leagues in 2025, ultimately hitting .245/.389/.424 across 84 total games played. While his numbers did not jump off the page, Bazzana still displayed signs of potential.

The Guardians believe in Travis Bazzana. He is expected to play a big role in Cleveland’s long-term future. For now, it remains to be seen when he will make his MLB debut.

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