Australian second baseman Travis Bazzana was selected by the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday night as the top pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft. Bazzana, who transitioned from cricket, rugby, and soccer to pursue baseball at Oregon State, had an impressive season with a .407 batting average, 28 home runs, and 66 RBIs.
The slot value for this year’s top pick was $10,570,600 under the bonus pools system introduced in 2012. Cleveland secured the first overall selection through a weighted lottery in December, despite having only a 2% chance. This lottery was implemented to deter teams from intentionally losing to obtain top draft picks by eliminating veteran players.
Following Bazzana, Wake Forest right-hander Chase Burns was picked second overall by the Cincinnati Reds. Burns, 21 years old, posted a 10-1 record with a 2.70 ERA and an impressive 191 strikeouts over 100 innings in 16 starts.
Colorado Rockies then chose Georgia third baseman Charlie Condon with the third pick. Condon, a towering 6-foot-6 player, led the NCAA with a .433 batting average and hit 37 home runs this season. He also earned the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s top amateur baseball player.
The draft commenced with the first 74 picks on Sunday at Cowtown Coliseum, with the remainder of the 20 rounds scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. Cleveland, having the top pick, also had selections at 36th and 48th.
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred faced boos from the approximately 2,000 fans present as he made his entrance through the set’s saloon doors on stage.
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