Guardians' Bazzana era begins with highly anticipated call-up

• Bazzana was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft.

State of play: The Guardians are in the middle of a home series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

• Bazzana, a native Australian who was a highly touted prospect at Oregon State, could make his major league debut during Tuesday's game at Progressive Field.

By the numbers: In 24 games with Columbus this year, Bazzana batted .287 with an on-base percentage of .422. He notched 15 extra-base hits, including a pair of home runs.

What they're saying: "We know this kid's going to help us a ton and win a lot of games," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said in March when announcing Bazzana wouldn't be on the Opening Day roster.

• Vogt said then: "He needs to go play and get every day at-bats and continue to develop."

The big picture: The 23-year-old is expected to become Cleveland's answer at second base, where the team has struggled to establish continuity this season.

• The Guardians' offense has improved over last season, as the team is neck-and-neck with the Detroit Tigers for first place in the American League Central.