For the first time ever in the Major League Baseball draft, the Cleveland Guardians had the No.1 overall pick.

The team’s president, Chris Antonetti, described it as an “extraordinary and exciting opportunity” – a chance to draft a potentially franchise-altering player.

As it turns out, Australian Travis Bazzana was that player, with the Oregon State second baseman’s name called by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Monday morning.

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“It means a lot. It is hard to put into words but it means everything. I’m just stoked and I’m really happy to be with the people I’m with right now,” Bazzana said during a live cross after his name was called.

“I see a lot of opportunity to make an impact on a lot of baseball players and people back home and hopefully change the narrative for baseball. I think the World Baseball Classic and the Olympics are something I want to see on the cards and hopefully we’ll compete there.

“But just giving belief to players back home that they can do great things in the U.S. and pursue a Major League dream and hopefully this is a step towards that.”

Chris Antonetti told media on Monday morning that Cleveland views Bazzana as a “dynamic player”.

“We view him to be a dynamic player,” Antonetti said.

“He’s a guy that makes really good swing decisions, controls strikes really well, rarely swings and misses, and can really impact the baseball. We think he’s got a chance to impact the game in a variety of ways.

“But as impressive as he is as an athlete and as a player, he’s just as impressive or more impressive as a person. He has been relentless from, I think the time he was three years old, to take advantage of every resource available to him to become the best baseball player he could possibly be.

“I think it’s a testament to his hard work and the support system that he’s had around to be able to get to this point. I know when talking with Travis, he’s excited for the opportunity to join an organisation and join our organisation and if you’ve heard him speak, he’s very passionate about the opportunity he has to help us win games and through that platform, elevate baseball in Australia.”

In fact, Bazzana, who played for the Sydney Blue Sox between 2018 and 2020, already has plans to do just that by suiting up in the Australian Baseball League once more during the offseason.

Of course, ultimately the Guardians will have the final say on whether that happens but it is just one way Bazzana is hoping to help raise the profile of the sport back home and worldwide.

“He’s going to be the one driving that to the Guardians, that he wants to get at-bats in the offseason,” Andrew Riddell, National Player Development Manager at Baseball Australia, told foxsports.com.au.

“Travis is a big advocate for the Australian Baseball League and the opportunities that it gave him as a 17-year-old. So I’m sure that he’ll be pushing to Cleveland that he wants to get more at-bats in for Sydney over the ABL season and keep getting his game time in and as much as he can back home.”

Only two Australians have made it to the big leagues after being selected in the draft: Josh Spence (ninth round in 2010 out of Arizona State) and Mark Ettles (33rd round, 1989, West Florida).

Craig Shipley, meanwhile, was the first Australian to make it in the Majors in the modern era, playing for the Mets, Padres, Astros and Angels in a career that spanned 11 seasons.

David Nilsson, Grant Balfour and Liam Hendriks are other notable countrymen to have tasted success in the Majors, being the only Australians to have played in an MLB All-Star game.

Two of Bazzana’s mentors, Trent Oeltjen and Ryan Rowland-Smith, also broke into the major leagues.

In total there have been 38 Australian players to make it to the Majors, with Bazzana on track to become the latest, although he will have to work his way through the minor leagues first before getting his shot in the big time.

But the fact he was taken first overall obviously increases Bazzana’s chances of doing just that, while it also speaks to Cleveland’s confidence in the Sydney native as a prospect.

The Guardians have good reason to be confident too as Bazzana was widely viewed as the player with the highest floor in this draft, while his improved home run power in his final season at Oregon State also proved he can have a significant ceiling too.

Foxsports.com.au spoke to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis in the lead-up to Monday’s draft and he said Bazzana’s hit tool and ability to play up the middle were two of the “biggest factors” in teams falling in love with him as a prospect.

“I do think people regard him as the best pure hitter in the draft in terms of hitting average, controlling the strike zone,” Callis said.

“And there aren’t that many players who are going to go in the upper half of this draft who are going to play up the middle. It’s lots of third baseman and first baseman and corner outfielders.

“I don’t think he’s necessarily going to star at second base, but he can stay at second base. He’s fine at second base.”

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That may prompt a conversation at Cleveland as to where Bazzana fits into the team at it stands given the Guardians already have Andres Gimenez at second base.

But there is potentially the flexibility to shift Gimenez to shortstop while Bazzana could also move into the outfield if required.

WHAT ARE EXPERTS SAYING ABOUT THE PICK?

Former MLB player and ESPN analyst Eduardo Perez:

“Just think about this, you look at the Guardians line-up now. Let’s just put Travis in there. This is another lefty. He fits perfect. Great eyes…steals bases. Cleveland Guardians all the way. This fits their mould.”

Former MLB player and ESPN analyst Kyle Peterson:

“Obviously the first native of Australia. That’s never happened before. It’s interesting, when you look at the history of baseball in Australia – all-time home run leader born in Australia? Dave Nilsson, hit 30 of them. Travis Bazzana has a chance to hit more than 30.

He’s got a chance to be a star.”

ESPN MLB Draft expert Kiley McDaniel:

“Bazzana is maybe the most polished hitter in the draft. He might be in the big leagues next year.”

Former MLB player and ESPN analyst Chris Burke:

“It’s really interesting. So, 76 walks. Like 76 walks is 25% walk rate this year. Yet he still hit 28 homers and 48 extra base hits. You could knock him and say, ‘Dude why aren’t you swinging more’? But when he swung the ball it was all-American damage. You know, Pac-12 player of the year. I’m going to watch if that swing rate goes up a little bit.”

BAZZANA’S BEAVERS CAREER IN NUMBERS (All program records)

Career hits: 251

Home runs: 45

Doubles: 52

Walks: 180

Runs: 220

Stolen bases: 66

Total bases: 460

BAZZANA’S SINGLE SEASON RECORDS

Home runs: 28

Runs: 84

Total bases: 195

Slugging percentage: .911

Stolen bases: 36

Walks: 76*

*tied for single-season record