Australia is the home of Travis Bazzana's heart. Every holiday, he would return to his homeland and relax. Take a stroll on the beach and take the family's border collie and Labrador breed dog "Reber" to the park. After a long baseball season, enjoy the ride.

But this offseason's trip home was a little different for Bazzana. Because since he graduated from Oregon State University, he was the top pick in the MLB draft, and this is the first time he has returned to Australia. The 22-year-old was invited to speak at a gathering of players and fans of the Sydney Blue Sox (the team he played for in the Australian Baseball League from 2018 to 2021) and felt the weight of being Australia's first first-round pick, especially the No. 1 pick.

"People came to see me, asked me for autographs, listened to me," Bazzana said, "and it's a special feeling to see the impact you've made and to know that the young players there have role models." ”

In his first professional spring training, as part of the Guardians' "Deep Camp" roster, training with major league players, Bazzana was not praised for the gods. Of course, he may have the dazzling aura of "champion" and was ranked 10th among the top 100 rookies in the United States by MLB Pipeline. But on the outfield of the training ground, he, like other players, is practicing receiving the boccia ball shot by the coach, or using the machine to pitch the ball to practice batting, and conscientiously complete his training tasks.

"It's a learning process," he says, "but at the end of the day, it's about having the respect you deserve and the rest of the people in the game, and being energetic and focused." ”

If Bazana comes across as a thoughtful young man, it's because he is. Last summer, shortly after the draft, I interviewed him with the single-A Laker County team and was originally going to write a feature. But it ended up being a Q&A, because I really didn't need to add any more to his detailed answers in terms of mental preparation and pre-match routine.

The Guardians' key decision-makers were equally impressed with him during their pre-draft meetings with Bazzana. There are no no-brainer favourites in this draft like Bryce Harper or Stephen Strasburg, and Bazzana stands out not only for his performances, but also for the way he trains.

This was our first glimpse of his training process during spring training. Don't get me wrong, while the Guardians have a number of more straightforward options to consider at second base, that doesn't mean you won't see Bazzana in the Cactus League.

"It's going to be fun for everybody," said head coach Stephen Vogt, "and as long as you're a top pick, you know you're going to be watched." But he doesn't seem to be affected by this. He is a curious learner with a strong drive for excellence and a thirst for knowledge. ”

Bazzana spent two months with Lake County last summer and learned a lot. At first, he struggled to get used to it, but quickly found his rhythm and helped the captains win the Midwest Conference championship. In 27 games, his batting triple was 0.238/0.369/0.396.

"I had a good first month, but I've been trying to adapt," he said, "and every time I walked into the strike zone, I couldn't find the form. That's just the way it is. What I've learned is that in baseball, you're always going to face different environments. You may be traded, or signed with a new team. There are too many external factors. So you have to focus on what you can control. Once I got my feet on my feet and went back to training that I trusted, I was able to play more comfortably and everything was on track. ”

It will be interesting to see how fast he will grow in 2025. With the current trend of rookies, it is not impossible for the 2024 No. 1 pick Bazzana to join the major league team at the end of 2025.

This means a lot not only to this team, but also to the entire Australian baseball community.

"When I'm comfortable playing, with the determination to win, and fighting for my teammates, good things happen," Bazana said, "and I'm not arrogant when I say that, but if I can do that, nothing can stop me...... If I can do this every day, it won't be long before I succeed. ”