“I came out of those meetings with a true gut feeling that Cleveland is where I wanted to be” - Travis Bazzana on why Guardians were right fit for him

The Cleveland Guardians drafted Travis Bazzana with the top pick earlier this month, and he was brimming with confidence in Cleveland on Friday. He seems enthused by Cleveland's combination of organizational culture, strategic intelligence and track record.

Bazzana, a second baseman from Australia known for his left-handed swing and well-rounded skillset, talked about why the Guardians are the perfect fit for him during an introductory news conference:

"The culture at the big league level, the young players, the intelligence of the organization, and then the consistency of winning over the past 10 years put the Guardians in such a powerful spot for me in terms of where I wanted to be. ... I came out of those meetings with a true gut feeling that Cleveland is where I wanted to be."

Travis Bazzana said he wanted to be in Cleveland throughout the draft process. He visited the big league club last week and took batting practice with the team on Friday. He said he's focused on growth within the organization.

Bazzana met Chris Antonetti, Cleveland's president of baseball operations, who played a vital role in the selection process at Guardians’ headquarters. These interactions provided Bazzana with a profound sense of belonging and purpose. It made him believe that it's an ideal environment where both personal and professional growth would take place.

Travis Bazzana aims to inspire Australian youth through baseball

Travis Bazzana is set to have a big impact in his homeland of Australia after becoming the first Australian-born player to be the first pick in an MLB draft.

The Oregon State standout envisions himself as a trailblazer for young people in Australia, trying to inspire another generation of ballplayers back home.

"This is a stepping stone where I can really grow the way Australians look at baseball," Bazzana said, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.

Watching early morning American baseball broadcasts as a young Australian, Bazzana’s rise from obscurity to stardom has been nothing short of arduous. He played multiple sports as a child but finally chose baseball over them all and was nicknamed “The Baseball Kid” by his peers.