“It sinks in a little” - Guardians No. 1 pick Travis Bazzana opens up on meeting Jose Ramirez after years of watching him play

The MLB Draft No. 1 pick, Travis Bazzana, has expressed his views on playing alongside switch-hitter Jose Ramirez. Bazzana has signed his first MLB contract with the Cleveland Guardians, shaking hands on $8.95 million this Friday.

He was introduced to the fans at a press conference before the Guardians went on to face the San Diego Padres. He announced that he will be starting his minor league stint with Cleveland's High-A, Lake County Captains. However, he's quite excited to make it to the majors soon and play alongside Jose Ramirez.

He talked about how he has been seeing Ramirez play since 2017 and it was surreal for him that he could talk to him like a normal person now.

"You watch José Ramírez highlights over and over since 2017. Then you get out there and you get to say ‘What’s up” to him. I think that’s when it sinks in a little bit," Bazzana said.

Bazzana was branded as one of the finest hitters who were part of this year's MLB draft. He'd slashed .407/.568/.911 with a 1.47 OPS during his tenure at Oregon State. So, it was no wonder when the Cleveland Guardians selected him as their first pick of the first round. Bazzana is joining the Guardians as the second baseman.

Travis Bazzana never expected to get the slot money

Travis Bazzana, the first-ever No. 1 overall pick by the Cleveland Guardians, officially joined the organization at Progressive Field. The Australian second baseman is the first in his position to become the first overall pick in the MLB draft.

While power hitters often take the top spot, his well-rounded skill set, including 28 collegiate home runs and 16 stolen bases, defied many expectations. Still, Bazzana shared how he'd have to settle for less than the slot money assigned to the Guardians.

"I was never going to get slot money anywhere. I wanted to be in a place where I could flourish and, with the identity of the way the Guardians play the game, this is where I wanted to be,” Bazzana said. “I put my trust in my great agents, but they knew I wanted to be a Guard."

He will work his way through the minor leagues for the next few years and will soon join the Guardians' main roster. Bazzana hopes to inspire other young players through his journey in the major leagues and pave the path for the next 'Travis Bazzana' in the future.