Australian Travis Bazzana made his long-awaited MLB debut on Wednesday morning AEST, featuring in the Cleveland Guardians’ 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The 23-year-old Sydney native batted seventh and played second base in Cleveland, going 0-for-2 with a pair of walks (one intentional) and a strikeout.
He came to bat with Men at Work’s ‘Down Under’ blaring from the venue’s PA system, with his parents Gary and Jenny, who were in attendance, encouraging him to choose an Australian walk-up song.
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“I would always be like, ‘People know I’m Australian. Why would I do that?’” Bazzana said.
“I just had this inkling the last couple of months that I felt like that would be special to start my career.
“That’s my favourite kind of iconic Australian song and it’s a cliché, but I think it’s a good start.”
Bazzana was the first overall pick from the 2024 MLB draft, becoming the first Australian player to achieve he feat.
He was called up from Triple-A Columbus to make his debut, batting .287 with two home runs, 10 RBIs and eight stolen bases across 24 games for the team this season.
“My mum was smiling and crying at the same time,” Bazzana told reporters ahead of the game.
“Very excited, very emotional, and my dad was shocked and just very excited.”
He added: “It’s crazy. It’s one of those moments where you kind of look back and think back to the kid version of yourself, dreaming of it. It’s special.”
The Rays extended their winning streak to six games, while the Guardians have lost four on the trot.
The two teams will face off again at the same venue on Thursday ta 3.10am AEST.
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