Australian baseball sensation Travis Bazzana has gone viral in the United States after his club celebrated his first Major League Baseball home run with a cheeky joke aimed directly at fans back home.
The 23-year-old from Sydney smashed his first MLB homer for the Cleveland Guardians during their 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Friday, capping another electric performance from the Australian rookie.
Bazzana launched a 427-foot (130.15-metre) two-run shot in the opening inning before wreaking havoc on the basepaths later in the game with two stolen bases.
But it was Cleveland's social media team that stole the spotlight afterward. The Guardians posted a celebratory graphic featuring a giant metallic 'W' for the win alongside Bazzana's image, writing: 'In Australia, they call that a big M!'
The joke immediately confused some American fans before Australians quickly explained the gag was about being 'Down Under' - turning the 'W' upside down into an 'M.'
The club then doubled down by posting an entire highlight video upside down with the caption: 'For our folks in Australia.' Fans loved it.
'Alright I'll give credit when credit is due, brilliant post,' one follower wrote. 'Such a dumb joke and I absolutely love it hahaha,' another added. A third joked: 'If you'd put the song 'Down Under' over it, you would have completely destroyed Australians.'
Bazzana's performance itself also generated major buzz across baseball circles. One popular Cleveland baseball account compared his aggressive eighth-inning baserunning to Guardians superstar Jose Ramirez.
'The home run was fun, but Bazzana playing like Jose in the 8th was special,' the post read. 'He's arrived.'
Another post broke down another sequence that saw the Aussie in the thick of the action to help engineer the win. 'Travis Bazzana just single handedly manufactured an insurance run for the Guardians,' it read. 'Beats out a double play. Steals second. Steals third. Scores on an infield single...'
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt also praised the Australian after the win. 'He's a great ball player,' Vogt said. 'All of our young guys are out here contributing and pushing the pace of the game, doing a phenomenal job. And it's a really fun night for Travis to have his first homer.'
Bazzana later laughed off the beer shower he received from teammates after the game. 'I heard that's the hot tip is close your eyes,' he said. 'There was a lot of beer coming over my head.'
The former Oregon State Beavers star was selected No. 1 overall by Cleveland in the 2024 MLB Draft, becoming the first Australian ever taken with the top pick. He was also the first second baseman in MLB history selected first overall.
