First Ever 'Australian' 1st Pick in MLB Draft History… Also First as a 2nd Baseman
Weatherholt, ranked 7th overall, is Korean-American…Grandmother is from Korea
For the first time in Major League Baseball (MLB) history, an Australian player has been selected first overall in the draft.
Second baseman Travis Bazana (21, Australia) was selected first in the first round of the 2024 MLB draft by the Cleveland Guardians on the 15th (Korean time).
It is the first time that an Australian player has been selected first overall in the MLB Draft, and that the second baseman position has been selected. https://bit.ly/outlookindiapowerball
Born in Sydney, Australia, Bazana recorded a batting average of . 360 (251 hits in 697 at-bats), 45 home runs, 165 RBIs, and an on-base percentage + slugging percentage (OPS) of 1.157 in 184 games in the NCAA League over three seasons.
In the 2024 season, he reached his peak with a batting average of . 407, an on-base percentage of . 568, a slugging percentage of . 911, and 28 home runs in 60 games.
He has a good grasp of the strike zone, makes good swing decisions, and has good contact ability, said Chris Antonetti, Cleveland's president of baseball operations.
I hope this will be a positive influence on many baseball players in Australia, Bazzana said.
In Australia, baseball is considered an unpopular sport, behind cricket and soccer.
According to MLB.com, there are 38 players who were born or raised in Australia and played in the MLB.
Of these, only one player has hit 30 home runs in his career: Dave Nielsen (105 home runs from 1992 to 1999).
Meanwhile, infielder JJ Weatherholt (21), who was selected 7th overall by the St. Louis Cardinals, is known to be a Korean-American.
MLB.com reported, "His paternal grandfather, who was a soldier, met his wife in Korea, and the two moved to the U.S. and ran a motel in Ohio."
Shawn Spredling, who covers baseball news, also reported on his X (formerly Twitter) account, "His grandmother is from Korea, so Weatherholt is Korean-American."
Weatherholt recorded a batting average of . 370 (206 hits in 557 at-bats), 29 home runs, 129 RBIs, 57 stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.092 in 145 games over three seasons in the college league. https://writer.bighugelabs.com/share/6hwcskq5
