Travis Bazzana is just slightly over a week away from suiting up for the Cleveland Guardians in spring training off a non-roster invite.

But he won’t be staying with the team for too long.

Just a few weeks ago, it was announced that the Australian native would be playing for his home country in the World Baseball Classic, which overlaps with spring training. This will allow Bazzana to compete against some of the top talent in the world, allowing him to raise his stock and develop more quickly.

Leading up to the WBC, which will begin for Team Australia on Thursday, March 5, at 11:00 p.m. EST against Chinese Taipei, Bazzana has started to become more vocal about the opportunity he has been given. At 23 years old, he’s already well aware of how a stage like this can impact not only himself, but the growth of the sport.

“The opportunity to impact the way a country views baseball is huge, where there’s a lot of room for growth and a lot of room for improvement,” Bazzana said. “I see the WBC and different tournaments as an opportunity to maybe have someone look up to us in Australian baseball and want to be like that in the future.”

This will be Bazzana’s debut in the WBC, with him potentially set to make a debut in the big leagues at some point in the near future as well. Just as quickly as he entered the pro scene, he’s tacking on numerous firsts, memorable moments and opportunities only some could dream of.

Travis Bazzana shared the importance of him playing for Australia in the World Baseball Classic.

“The opportunity to impact the way a country views baseball is huge, where there’s a lot of room for growth and a lot of room for improvement. I see the WBC and different tournaments… pic.twitter.com/h8Z5oUfkIT

— Guardians Nation (@GuardiansNation) February 12, 2026Bazzana’s Path to the Majors

Heading into 2026, there’s a lot of discussion occurring on whether or not Bazzana will get a chance to suit up for the Guardians at Progressive Field.

Last season, he only got 26 games under his belt in Triple-A, but looked sharp. He slashed .225/.420/.438 for an OPS of .858, while tacking on three doubles, two triples and four home runs for 14 total RBIs. Prior to his promotion, he played in 51 games of Double-A ball and seven games in Rookie ball, doing enough in limited time to impress.

While he spent most of the year working his way through the minors and battling injuries, he showed the flash that made him a No. 1 pick back in the 2024 MLB June Amateur Draft.

Many from his class have gotten a chance to play in the big leagues, including Nick Kurtz and Jac Caglianone, who’ve been remarkable. They both battled for Rookie of the Year honors last season, with Kurtz taking home the award with a bWAR posted at 5.4 and a slashing line of .290/.383/.619 for an OPS of 1.002.

For Bazzana, he’s just itching for a chance to follow in those footsteps and make his debut this year.

“I’d be lying if I said you don’t think about that,” Bazzana said. “I mean, everyone does.”

He’ll likely start the year in Columbus with the Clippers, and as long as he continues to be consistent, he’ll end up making the jump to the majors in due time.

Bazzana will have a chance to impress both the Cleveland faithful and organization at large in spring training with the team first taking the field on Saturday, Feb. 21. The Guardians will match up against the Cincinnati Reds with first pitch slated for 3:05 p.m. EST from the Goodyear Ballpark in Arizona.