From ‘nappies at the ballpark’ to MLB: how Australia’s Travis Bazzana made baseball’s big leagues

Travis Bazzana became the first Australian top pick in Major League Baseball’s 2024 amateur draft, debuting for the Cleveland Guardians earlier this year. Photograph: Jason Miller/Getty Images

When Sydney’s Travis Bazzana made his debut in Major League Baseball on 28 April, it was the culmination of a journey that began when he was a toddler.

“From the time he could stand, Travis was always wanting to throw or hit balls with any type of bat or racket available,” says Travis’s mother, Jenny. “Any visitors to the house, including his grandparents, were immediately invited to play or compete with him.”