When Travis Bazzana stepped to bat for the first time as a professional on July 26, the No. 1 overall draft pick made history. He also joined an unusual blend of batters in the Cleveland Guardians’ farm system.
Six days after signing for $8.95 million, the 21-year-old native of Australia from Oregon State played for the Lake County Captains of the High A Midwest League. Bazzana did so as the first player ever taken by Cleveland with the No. 1 overall pick since the MLB Draft began in 1965.
The headline above no doubt surprised and infuriated Guardians fans. Relax. The franchise is not being taken to task. In fact, it’s a left-handed compliment – to point out the organization’s wildly unbalanced left-handed complement of batters.
Quite frankly, the Guardians’ abacus-aligned brains deserve a hand.
Batting from the left side is the driving point behind their mathematically oriented scheme to conquer the baseball world by playing guys that are odds-on favorites to succeed.
Research shows that approximately 89% of the world population is right-handed. It naturally figures that without even calculating all sorts of numbers in the sport itself, an overwhelming majority of Major League Baseball players are right-handed – including pitchers.
Not coincidentally, the Guardians are stockpiling batters who can swing from the left side to counteract that. Their propensity for doing so is remarkable.
In looking at the organization’s five lowest farm teams, only 11 of 89 men to come to bat for those ballclubs in 2024 swing solely from the right side. That’s 12.4%. That means 87.6% of batters swinging lefty are facing right-handers.
Not included are batters at Cleveland’s top two farm teams, the Triple-A Columbus Clippers and Double-A Akron RubberDucks. They have more players acquired from elsewhere through trades and other moves that alters numbers on what the Guardians are attempting internally through the draft and international free-agent signings.
Yet tonight, Akron had one switch-hitter and six lefty hitters — all homegrown — in the starting lineup. Another switch-hitting regular got a rest.
Cleveland took nine pitchers and three hitters with their first 12 picks this month. The hitters were Bazzana, North Carolina State catcher Jacob Cozart in the second round and Samford shortstop Garrett Howe in the 12th. All hit from the left side.
Let’s look at the Guardians’ low-level farm system, which has a collective 177-142 record in 2024. That shows what is not right is proving to be right in the bizarro world of analytics.
2024 High-A Lake County batters
- Thirteen bat left-handed.
- Four are switch-hitters.
- Four bat right-handed.
- 57-36 record.
2024 Low A Lynchburg batters
- Twelve bat left-handed.
- Five are switch-hitters.
- Zero are right-handed hitters.
- 49-44 record.
2024 Arizona Complex League batters
- Twelve bat left-handed.
- Nine are switch-hitters.
- Two bat right-handed.
- 27-33 record.
2024 (Minnie) Mendoza team in Dominican Summer League
- Ten bat left-handed.
- Five are switch-hitters.
- One bats right-handed.
- 17-17 record.
2024 (Johnny) Goryl team in DSL
- Six bat left-handed.
- Six are switch-hitters.
- Four bat right-handed.
- 24.-12 record.
That’s 93 players spread across five clubs. One switch-hitter played for three affiliates, one played for two teams and one lefty batter for two clubs. That leaves 89 total who have come to bat.
- 52 bat left-handed.
- 26 are switch-hitters.
- 11 bat right-handed.
Currently In Cleveland
All-star third baseman Jose Ramirez, a switch-hitter, has helped the Guardians maintain first place in the American League Central Division most of the season. He is joined by rookie switch-hitting infielders Bryan Rocchio and Angel Martinez.
All-star outfielder Steven Kwan and all-star first baseman Josh Naylor lead the left-handed hitting brigade that includes former all-star second baseman Andres Gimenez, catcher Bo Naylor, outfielder Will Brennan and rookie infielder Daniel Schneeman. Lefty swingers Estevan Florial, Jose Tena and Kyle Manzardo are now in Columbus after stints in Cleveland.
What About Pitching?
Cleveland’s good staff is prominently and predictably right-handed. Of the 22 pitchers used by first-year manager Steven Vogt, only three throw left-handed – starter Logan Allen and relievers Tim Herrin and Sam Hentges.
This is where the Guardians right the ship – and things look appropriately right. Cleveland ranks second among 15 AL teams in earned run average, third in strikeouts and lead the league with 37 saves – 32 by all-star closer Emmanuel Clase.
Time Will Tell
The Guardians’ esteemed execs believe quite strongly in playing percentages. It has made sense thus far in 2024. Remarkably, the Guardians have the best winning percentage in MLB against lefty pitchers, going 22-8 (.733).
Cleveland is third among all MLB teams in runs scored and doubles off lefties and in the upper half in every offensive category except triples against them.
A look at career splits of three key players shows Ramirez hits 10 points better (.285 to .275) against lefties; Gimenez is even better (.275 to .256) and Kwan about the same (.293 vs. LHP, .295 vs. RHP).
Josh Naylor struggles (.235) against lefties and thrives (.274) against right-handers as expected. The other switch-hitters and left-handed batters do, too.
It will be interesting to see if the gaggle of prospects can achieve enough good results to produce solid offense in the future. If so, plenty of people will be putting both hands together in applause.
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