When will Travis Bazzana play for the Guardians? Exploring No. 1 overall prospect's possible MLB debut as he gets slated in High-A

Last Sunday, Oregon State's Travis Bazzana made history after being picked No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Guardians in the 2024 MLB draft. He became the first Australian baseball talent to have been picked in the opening round of the draft. With Bazzana now being selected No. 1 overall, queries emerged on when Bazzana could make his MLB debut.

There's no doubt he is a one-of-a-kind player, but the road to the majors is more absorbing and time-consuming as compared to other leagues like the NHL, NBA and NFL.

According to FanGraphs, the time for the No. 1 overall pick to make his major league debut is 3.6 years. Moreover, position-wise, the number differs, which is as follows:

C: 5.0 years
1B: 3.1 years
2B: 4.5 years
3B: 3.9 years
SS: 5.1 years
LF/RF: 6.3 years
CF: 5.6 years
RHP: 5.9 years
LHP: 5.5 years

During his time at Oregon, Travis Bazzana spent most of the time at shortstop or third base. So going by that, his expected time to make his major league debut will be after four years in 2028.

Recent draft picks suggest Travis Bazzana could make his MLB debut sooner

There are many names in history who, without playing in the minors straightaway, made their debuts in the majors. However, in modern-day baseball, it hasn't happened in a while, especially for those who are picked No. 1 overall.

However, contradicting this are some recent picks who have gone first in the draft and made their major league debuts within two years.

Jackson Holliday, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft by the Baltimore Orioles, made his debut earlier this year. But again, his hitting fell below expectations, going 2-for-34 in his first 10 games, as the Orioles later optioned him back to the minors.

Pitcher Paul Skenes, who was picked No. 1 overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023, also made his debut earlier in May and is currently wreaking havoc in the league.

If Travis Bazzana has a knack for getting going in his first season in the minors, his MLB debut shouldn't take too long.

Bazzana will now join Cleveland’s High-A affiliate, the Lake County Captains, sometime next week to start his journey toward the majors.