Travis Bazzana is closing out his 2025 season in style.
The Guardians’ top-ranked prospect delivered his first professional multihomer game as part of a three-hit, three-RBI night in Triple-A Columbus’ 12-0 rout of Indianapolis at Huntington Park, all while donning the team’s Harry Potter-themed uniforms.
The 23-year-old has carried a hot bat into September. Through six games this month, he’s gone 8-for-20 (.400) with three homers and a 1.405 OPS.
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“Just starting to get more of my best swings off,” Bazzana said. “Dialing in some ball flight things I’ve wanted to see for a while. A lot of swings are providing better ball flight, which is helping me slug a little more.”
Some of that slugging surge has come against left-handed pitching -- once viewed as a weak spot. After missing a month and a half with an oblique injury, Bazzana worked with Guardians staff to make targeted adjustments to his approach.
“When I came back from the injury, we reassessed where I was at against left-handed pitching,” Bazzana said. “The key was staying in attack mode against lefties. Sometimes, with platoon matchups, hitters can think they’re a defender at the plate. But for me, continuing to be the aggressor has been big.”
The results showed Saturday night when MLB’s No. 15 prospect launched third- and fifth-inning homers off southpaw Nick Dombrowski. On the season, Bazzana owns a .905 OPS against lefties compared to a .792 mark versus righties -- a split that highlights his polish just 14 months into his pro career.
The time spent sidelined with the oblique injury also brought perspective.
“It’s kind of the first legit injury I’ve had,” he said. “When the game gets taken away from you, you realize how much you miss it and how much it matters. … I also treated it like a mini-offseason. I had time to reset and came back stronger from it.”
As he nears the end of his first full professional campaign, last year's No. 1 overall pick has learned to separate preparation from competition.
“You can split the development side -- mechanical work, information, adjustments -- from what actually happens between the white lines,” he explained. “At your best, there’s less thought and more reaction. … You’ve just got to trust your skills and compete. That’s been the biggest reminder for me.”
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Now one step away from Cleveland, the Australia native points to the Guardians’ organizational culture as a driving factor in his growth.
“Top to bottom, there are so many people pulling in the same direction,” Bazzana said. “There’s less ego here and that allows for honest conversations between staff and players. … I’m really happy to be a Guardian.”
The Clippers may not be in the playoff picture, but Bazzana has still made his mark. His first Triple-A homer was a walk-off shot in Columbus’ alternate Blue Jackets jerseys. His second and third came Saturday in the Harry Potter-themed set.
“I love mixing it up with different jerseys and themes,” Bazzana said with a laugh. “The Harry Potter one was pretty cool, but it would’ve been perfect if we had a matching hat. Still, it was a fun game for me. And the Blue Jackets night was awesome -- sweet jerseys, a cool fan experience and a walk off. Those are memories you take with you.”
For now, his bat is doing plenty of talking. Two homers in one night and a weeklong stretch of loud contact are just the latest signs that Bazzana is settling in at Triple-A and inching ever closer to the Majors.