The 2024 MLB Draft is still many months away. The Kansas City Royals don’t even know which selection they’ll have in this year’s first round, as the draft lottery won’t take place until this December. Regardless of where they pick, this draft is yet another important opportunity to right the franchise and get headed toward the right direction.

The Royals have rotated their first round picks in recent years, taking risky prep arm Frank Mozzicato in 2021, followed by a safer college bat in Gavin Cross the next season. Then, in 2023 they went back for more risk, selecting prep catcher prospect Blake Mitchell. Will the team follow the recent pattern and focus on college talent in the first round of 2024’s draft?

If so, they should have their share of promising options to choose from. There’s still a ton that can happen between now and next summer’s draft, so it’s really difficult to mock which players could be available at which picks. One of the safest picks to go very early so far has been Australian infielder Travis Bazzana.

Bazzana’s desire to win fuels him

Before diving into Bazzana’s immense talent, it’s worth considering the type of player he is on the diamond. Scouting is only partially based upon baseball skill. Other things matter just as much, such as how competitive a player is, how they carry themselves, and how much of a leader they can be. A players character can be the difference between a successful major league career and a failed prospect who never reaches the big leagues at all.

Joe Freeman of The Oregonian gave a strong glimpse into Bazzana’s character following Oregon State’s heartbreaking loss to Auburn to end their 2023 season. The Beavers’ second baseman finished his season slashing .374/.500/.622. It was an incredible season, but ended instead in tears for Bazzana.

“I was broken,” Bazzana said. “I care about winning. I really care about winning. I care about going to Omaha as much as anyone. That’s why I came here. I wanted to be part of a winning culture and we built something so special last year. To have to my performance play a role in us losing that ballgame, it was tough. It would be extremely selfish to say I lost us the game … but in that moment, you can’t help but feel like it. For a moment in time you … you just … it’s tough. You’re broken.”

Teammates and coaches rave about Bazzana’s baseball intelligence and passion for the game. Brooks Knight, head coach for the summer league Corvallis Knights, had high praise for the young infielder as well. “He is really personable. He loves to communicate with people. [Bazzana] is high energy and wants the team to play with high energy. He leads by example. He is just outstanding — a great human being.” The Royals need proven leaders and they need players with a drive to win.

It’s hard to find a negative review on Bazzana’s work ethic, leadership, and drive to win. Thus far into his baseball career, he’s shown a willingness to put in the work to learn, be a great teammate, and become the very best he can be. On top of all the elite characteristics that make up the ball player as a person, he has shown he can be one of the best on the diamond as well.

Bazzana’s prowess at the plate

Bazzana has played in 124 NCAA games to date over two season for the Oregon State Beavers. In those games, he has slashed .340/.463/.549 with 17 home runs, 50 stolen bases, and about as many walks (17.1%) as strikeouts (17.9%). On top of the strong showing over two seasons, he went to the Cape Cod League in 2023 as a 20-year-old and slashed a resounding .375/.456/.581.

Name whatever you’d like to see from a major league second baseman and chances are, Bazzana has it. In 2023, he ranked at or near the top for just about every offensive category among Pac-12 players. Beavers Hall of Fame Head Coach Jack Riley said Bazzana could “hit in the major leagues right now.” His defense is strong as well, as he often works alongside former MLB Gold Glove Second Baseman, Darwin Barney.

The improvements that Bazzana made from his freshman year to last season were phenomenal. He improved his walk rate nearly five percentage points. At the same time, his strikeout rate dropped from 20.5% in 2022 to just 15.3% as a sophomore. Then, perhaps most impressive of all, Bazzana raised his batting average 68 points year over year. The Oregon State second baseman has an easy case to be taken first overall, assuming he remains the same player in 2023. Not much we’ve seen to this point indicates we should expect anything else.

would the royals take him?

The largest question I have surrounding Travis Bazzana isn’t about the player. It’s whether the Royals would be ridiculous enough to pass on him. They took Gavin Cross over Jace Jung in 2022, then passed on both Tommy Troy and Matt Shaw in 2023. In each of the last two seasons there have been elite, second base prospects available and the Royals have chosen to prioritize premium defense over offensive production.

While Bazzana’s defense at second is sound, he doesn’t profile as anything but a second baseman at the next level. Kansas City has to understand that, that’s okay. With the offensive skills that Bazzana possesses, he will carry plenty of value without playing a premium defensive position. He’d be the team’s top prospect right now, without question.

If the Royals are given the chance to select Bazzana in next year’s draft, he looks like a great pick. There are others in the mix, such as J.J. Wetherholt — a dominant hitter in his own right — and Nick Kurtz. Only time will tell where the cards fall once draft time gets closer, but Bazzana is certainly a prospect to watch next spring for Royals fans interested in the team’s future.