Sebastian Tan
Australia’s Travis Bazzana’s remarkable rise has continued, with the 23-year-old earning his first call-up to Major League Baseball’s All-Star game.
Bazzana made history when he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 MLB draft, the first time an Australian has been drafted in the first round.
The NSW product made his MLB debut on April 28 this year and has already produced eye-catching form, leading to a call-up to the Mid-Summer Classic in Philadelphia on July 14 (July 15 AEST).
Bazzana becomes just the fourth Australian to receive an All-Star nod, following in the footsteps of Dave Nilsson (1999), Grant Balfour (2013) and Liam Hendriks (2019, 2021, 2022).
The outfielder has been named to the American League squad as a designated reserve player.
“It puts perspective on things,” Bazzana said.
“I have high expectations for myself, I will continue to work, I think there is a lot left that I can bring to the team on the field to move forward.
“Obviously, a good attitude of self-sacrifice when sometimes I don’t give myself grace.
“Hopefully, we continue to have more All-Stars and players who believe they can go and do amazing things in the MLB.”
Bazzana and teammate Parker Messick have been selected as rookies, a feat accomplished only by the Rangers and three starters in franchise history.
It is only the fifth time a single MLB club has fielded multiple players in the All-Star game, with the most recent being the New York Yankees in 2014.
Bazzana has been instrumental in helping the Rangers push to a third straight postseason, and regularly top Cleveland’s lineup.
In 58 games, the Australian has seven home runs, 12 doubles and 27 RBIs, with a .250 batting average and an OBP (on-base percentage) of .341.
Those numbers helped Bazzana receive an All-Star selection through the player vote, a system where the league’s players, managers and coaches vote to select the remaining players and supporting players for the All-Star game.
AAP
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of games sent every Monday. Subscribe to our Sports newsletter.
