When a 13-year-old Travis Bazzana strolled up to a cricket trial dedicated to senior students, Turramurra High School teacher and coach Will Delves was sceptical.

Seeking his father’s permission to play, Mr Delves got a little more than that.

“He’s ready; there’s no way you are keeping Travis out of that net,” Gary Bazzana said.

More than ready as it turns out. As Mr Delves put it, the batsman proceeded to “tear the senior bowlers apart”.

A little more than a decade on, the bat in his hand may be different but the swagger and skill is more than still there with Bazzana on Wednesday (AEST) making his debut as a batter in America’s Major League Baseball (MLB).

The slugger became just the 39^th Australian to turn out in the MLB, and the second one playing this season.

He took to the pitch for the Cleveland Guardians against the Tampa Bay Rays, batting four times for no hits as his side was edged 1-0.

While the debut may have been quiet, his future looks assured.

Already Australia’s only No.1 MLB pick in the history of the sport, Bazzana has had a phenomenal trajectory since his school days.

Supporting him in his endeavours since he arrived in Year 7, the school offered a gym program called ‘Big Hill’ that helped develop him into the athlete he is today. Bazzana was a regular at morning and lunchtime sessions doing weights and sprints.

“I’ve probably never met anyone like him in regard to goal-setting,” Mr Delves said.

“He planned everything to the nth degree and then just went about putting in the work.”

That work also involved at a chicken shop straight after school where he raised money for his time at Oregon College.

He studied psychology at the college where he would go on to become one of the most revered athletes to go through its system.

Mr Delves said he got a call from Cleveland as they wanted to do exhaustive due diligence before ultimately choosing him as the top draft pick.

“They were struck by his leadership and analytical ability,” Mr Delves said. “He was almost like a coach.”

Bazzana has been back to Turramurra High School numerous times since his early success, and his family continues to live in the area.