Cleveland’s recent run has come with Travis Bazzana finding his footing again, and the rookie second baseman says the Guardians’ surge is being driven by something bigger than any one comeback or clutch swing: belief.
That mentality showed up in back-to-back games this week, when Cleveland erased five-run and three-run deficits on Tuesday and Wednesday. Bazzana said the group never stopped thinking it had a chance, even when the scoreboard suggested otherwise.
“There’s just that belief right now of, like, you’re never out of a game,” Bazzana said, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. “When it was 5-0 [on Tuesday], we felt like we were in that game, which is funny. It just shows how powerful the team environment and the mental state is.”
That confidence has matched the results. The Guardians have ripped off seven straight wins, pushing their record from 61-66 to 68-66. On Wednesday, they were again staring at a loss before Steven Kwan tied it with a ninth-inning double, and Bazzana delivered the winning RBI with a sacrifice fly.
For Bazzana, the stretch is a welcome turn after a season that hasn’t stayed on the easy track. He debuted in late April, tore through May with a 150 wRC+, earned an All-Star nod in July, and even drew early AL Rookie of the Year buzz.
But the production has cooled since then. He’s sitting at a 101 wRC+, his defense has been uneven, and his home run total has been stuck at nine since July 20.
Still, the rookie has started to heat back up at the right time. Over his last seven games, dating back to August 19, he’s hit .370/.387/.444 with a 130 wRC+, five runs scored and six RBI.
That kind of stretch matters for Cleveland because Bazzana has become the player who can lift the whole offense when he’s going. When he’s producing, the Guardians tend to follow.
In Other News...
Guardians No Longer Need The Kind Of Waiver Gamble Fans Remember
Late-summer waiver drama has become one of those old baseball customs that still grabs attention, even if it no longer carries the same edge it once did. The Reds putting Eugenio Surez and TJ Friedl on waivers is a reminder of how clubs still use every roster mechanism available in August, whether the goal is to open a path for another team to claim a player or simply to create flexibility without making a louder move.
For Cleveland fans, there is at least a little distance from the kind of waiver gamble that used to feel much more urgent. Reports suggest both Reds players are likely to clear and stay put, but the larger point is the same: this is a cost-cutting move first and foremost, not necessarily the start of a major reshuffle. If either player ends up designated for assignment, the next step would only deepen the attention on a transaction that is more about savings than a fresh baseball fit. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Tough Choice With Their Hottest Power Prospect
Ralphy Velazquez has done everything a power prospect can do to force the issue at Triple-A Columbus, where the Guardians No. 2 prospect has spent August launching home runs and putting himself squarely into the conversation for a September call-up. For a Cleveland club that always has to balance present needs with future value, his surge has only sharpened the question of whether the organization should give him a taste of the majors before seasons end.
The hold-up is the familiar one for a young hitter with upside: age, roster math and where he fits defensively all make the decision more complicated than a hot month would suggest. Cleveland is weighing whether a promotion now is worth the potential impact on his long-term development, and for all the noise Velazquez has made with the bat, the Guardians still have to decide if this is the right moment to open that door. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Lineup Suddenly Looks Like A Problem For Everyone
The Guardians have spent the last week looking like a club with far more ways to beat you than they had just a short time ago. Since the arrivals of Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe, Cleveland has ripped off seven straight wins, and the lineup has started to show the kind of balance and pop that can make the rest of the American League take notice. Steven Kwan has been right in the middle of it, setting the table the way he does best, while Jos Ramrez and Angel Martnez have helped give the order a much deeper, more dangerous feel.
What has changed most is the sense that the offense no longer needs one perfect night to carry the team. The additions have helped spread the damage around, and the group now looks more complete from top to bottom, with enough contact, on-base ability and power to pressure opponents in different ways. For a Cleveland team that has often had to scrape for runs, the bigger question now is whether this version of the lineup is the start of something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]