The Cleveland Guardians made their statement at No. 1 in the 2024 MLB Draft when they took Travis Bazzana, and ESPN’s latest redraft exercise made it clear that not everyone in the industry sees him the same way.
ESPN’s MLB staff recently merged the past three draft classes and reordered them using this year’s draft slotting. In that setup, Bazzana didn’t come off the board until No.
- Fourteen players from those classes were placed ahead of him.
That’s a jarring result for a player who has already shown real big league production. Bazzana has impressed in his first taste of MLB action and has become part of the league’s next wave of talent, even if his profile still divides evaluators. The skepticism around him has centered on whether he has the same kind of MVP ceiling as some of the other top names in the group.
His bat has answered plenty of questions so far. Bazzana’s .750 OPS leads all American League second basemen with 200-plus at-bats, a strong marker even if it hasn’t changed the broader debate around his long-term upside.
The redraft opened with Paul Skenes going No. 1 to the Athletics, and the first real shock came immediately after that when Konnor Griffin was taken at No. 2.
Griffin, whom the Pirates selected with the No. 9 pick in the 2024 draft, has quickly become one of the sport’s most talked-about young players. He made his MLB debut this season and has already agreed to a nine-year, $140 million contract, but much of the buzz around him is still tied to projection.
He’s only 20.
Bazzana, by comparison, is 23 and already has three years of college baseball on his résumé.
Three players from Bazzana’s draft class were placed ahead of him in the redraft: Chase Burns at No. 5, JJ Wetherholt at No. 6 and Jac Caglianone at No.
- Burns, who joined Bazzana as one of only two All-Stars from that draft class, has been excellent this season with a 2.40 ERA in 91 2/3 innings.
He also carries the usual injury risk that comes with pitchers, but his placement over Bazzana is at least easy to understand given his major league success.
The same logic applies to Skenes, Griffin and Nick Kurtz, all of whom have already shown enough at the big league level to justify being pushed ahead. The head-scratching part comes a little later, with Kade Anderson, Seth Martinez, Max Clark and Eli Willits all going before Bazzana despite not having made their MLB debuts yet.
Of course, each of those players still has a chance to develop into MVP-caliber talent. But Bazzana has already proven that his game translates to the majors, and that’s what makes his placement so hard to square.
If nothing else, ESPN’s redraft only added fuel to the conversation around the Guardians’ decision to take Bazzana first overall in 2024 - a move that figures to stay in the spotlight for years.
In Other News...
Another Guardians Outfielder Just Became A Casualty Of Cleveland's Youth Shift
Stuart Fairchilds brief run with Cleveland is over after the Guardians designated the outfielder for assignment and he later elected free agency when he went unclaimed on outright waivers. The move fits the clubs broader roster churn, one that has increasingly tilted toward younger outfield options as the Guardians keep reshaping the edges of the roster.
Fairchild now has another path forward, but his departure also underscores how little room there is for veteran depth pieces when Cleveland is trying to clear space for the next wave. The Guardians have continued to lean into that youth movement in the outfield, and Fairchild became the latest casualty of it. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Draft History Looks Even Worse Than Fans Remember
For a franchise that has spent years trying to build through the draft, the Guardians history of first- and early-round swings looks rougher when revisited in one place. A review of five of the organizations biggest misses puts a harsh spotlight on how little Cleveland got back from several premium picks, especially when those players never turned into real trade chips either. Bradley Zimmers injury-plagued run, Jeremy Sowers quick fade after arriving as a high pick, and Carson Tuckers inability to establish himself all fit the same frustrating pattern.
Tuckers case is especially stark because his time in the system ended with a .164 batting average in 73 minor league games before Cleveland moved on. Add in the broader track record around those other picks, and it becomes clear why this part of the Guardians draft history still lingers with fans. The organization has had plenty of success stories to point to over the years, but these misses are a reminder that not every promising name in June turns into help in October, or even much help at all. [Read more 🡒]
Francisco Lindor Is Back At The Center Of A Guardians Debate
Francisco Lindors name has a way of pulling Cleveland back into the conversation, and this latest round of chatter is no different. The former Guardians star, now under a long-term Mets deal, has become a talking point again as New York sits at the bottom of its division and analysts start gaming out whether a reunion could even be considered.
The idea is easy enough to understand from Clevelands side, since Lindor still carries the kind of impact and familiarity that would make any front office pause. But the contract alone makes the whole exercise feel more theoretical than practical, and the debate has already split opinions, with some seeing a fit and others wanting no part of it. [Read more 🡒]