From Caracas to the Clubhouse: Brian Guzman’s Journey to the Blue Sox
By Gabriella Trevisani
To outsiders, Utica, NY is just a wrong turn– a detour on the way to somewhere bigger. But for the Blue Sox, it is the place where dreams live and journeys begin. Brian Guzman is a 21-year-old utility player from Caracas Venezuela who took a chance on Utica after noticing Triple Crown winner and future Hall of Famer, Miguel Cabrera found his footing here many summers ago. So he packed his bags, got in his car, and drove 27 hours from his college in Hobbs, New Mexico to our little city, dreaming of a summer for the record books. And we’re so here for it! Though the dedication is hard, the memories are forever.
In this profile, we cover everything from his teammate Barraza’s home opener walk-off to settling in with the Sox and the teammates who have become close friends along the way. We also talk about culture and how his Venezuelan identity has shaped everything from the jersey number he has chosen to his early memories of the sport. We’re lucky to have someone like Brian on our squad this year: passionate, humble and ready to make this summer count!
Gabriella: So I was going to start off talking about you, but after last night’s (June 13) walk-off, I kind of wanted to shift the focus towards the team. So what was it like being a part of that, even from the bench?
Brian: It was pretty fun. I have never been in an environment like that before, with so many fans like yesterday.
Gabriella: Yeah, you guys seemed super happy. I feel like the team’s really coming together.
So you’re currently attending junior college in New Mexico, so I just wanted to know, how’d you make the decision to go there and what do you love most about living there?
Brian: I decided to go there when I looked at the program, like the culture of the program. There were a lot of guys from where I’m from, so I really liked that.
Gabriella: That’s awesome. And you’re from Caracas, Venezuela. So I was wondering, what was it like growing up there and how did you first get into baseball?
Brian: Well, being Venezuelan, baseball is part of the culture….Parents, when they think about putting their kids in a sport, the first thing that comes to mind is baseball. And, well, my parents, they were the ones that pulled me into it. My dad started taking me to the field to practice and play at around three years old.
Gabriella: That’s great…I know there’s a lot of Venezuelan players in the MLB, so that’s cool to know
So, I wanted to ask you another question about New Mexico, because my brother just recently moved there. What’s one thing or place that every person needs to try when they visit New Mexico?
Brian: Well, I really didn’t travel much, outside of my school. It’s a small town…
But there’s a lot of rodeo sport and I would say to try the Mexican food.
Gabriella: Ooh, yes, definitely. All right. I plan to try that when I visit.
So now we’re going to talk about your college season. In your 2025 season, you had 30 plate appearances, hitting .320 with a home run and 8 RBIs–a very strong performance. When you’re hitting like that, what’s your mindset at the plate?
Brian: I’m just focusing on getting a good swing so I can hit the ball as hard as I can to help my team.
Gabriella: That’s great. So you recently shared a post showing that New Mexico Junior College is ranked sixth in a list of the Top 50 JUCO’s. So what does it feel like to be part of a program with some of the top talent? Is that more pressure or excitement?
Brian: There’s a little pressure, but it’s mostly being part of a program with such a winning culture.
Gabriella: Do you guys know your record from the last season, like wins and losses?
Brian: I know we had over 40 wins…
Gabriella: Ooh, wow. That’s great. I know. Is there a championship you compete for?
Brian: No, we made it until–we didn’t pass the Super Regionals that would send us to the World Series in Colorado.
Gabriella: Aw, well you got pretty close.
So, you played outfield for a majority of your college experience. But you also played first base, and DH. What’s it like being a utility player? What position do you like most?
Brian: I like mostly playing first place. But when you can play one, two positions or more, it’s an advantage. Like can give you more. More opportunities for playing time.
Gabriella: Yeah, of course.
And you’ve mostly been playing first base here, so how are you liking it? Playing first base for the Blue Sox.
Brian: It’s been a great environment, great coaches–Everything’s been great.
Gabriella: Yeah, that’s great to hear.
So now I want to dig into your influences. So do you watch MLB or professional baseball?
Brian: Yeah, I like, I watch a lot of professional baseball.
Gabriella: So I was wondering if you have like a specific player that you look up to, appreciate or try to model in your own game?
Brian: Mm. Miguel Cabrera. I like him a lot. I saw that he played as a Blue Sox. So when I heard about it, it was really cool. And that’s how I decided that I was gonna go and play here. Where he played at.
Gabriella: That’s awesome. How about in your own life, is there some kind of a role model, maybe a coach or parent that you know has taught you some lessons like about baseball and like helped you appreciate the sport more?
Brian: My parents, of course. Yeah. They put a lot into it., I have traveled to pretty much all of America. Wow. South and North America, and the Caribbean too.
Gabriella: Awesome. So your parents have definitely supported you in terms of traveling and bringing you to games.
Brian: Oh yeah.
Gabriella: All right, so now I wanna ask you a little bit more about the Blue Sox. So you’re a few games into the season. What brought you to Utica? ‘Cause you know, it’s a pretty far trip.
Brian: Yeah, I drove all the way from New Mexico to get here.
Gabriella: Wow, you didn’t fly. See, my brother just flew to his dental school and it’s already a long flight! How long did it take to drive?
Brian: Around 29 hours.
Gabriella: Wow, that’s crazy.
So what was the selling point in coming to Utica?
Brian: Well, I did research, of course, on summer baseball, and I saw the Utica Blue Sox, and the culture and everything, and I like it a lot. So I contacted the owner, George. And asked him if I could come here and he invited me to come here and that’s why I ended up coming here.
Gabriella: That’s awesome. And we’re lucky to have you.
So now I want to ask you about the clubhouse. What’s the kind of vibe in the clubhouse? Are there any specific teammates that you’ve formed a good relationship with so far?
Brian: Well, well there’s another Hispanic one. The one that I talk to a lot, his name is Waldy Rodriguez.It’s always like, I always like when there’s another Hispanic on my team or in the clubhouse. I like to talk to him a lot.
Gabriella: Do you talk in Spanish with him?
Brian: Yeah, I talk a lot of Spanish with Waldy.
Gabriella: All right. Now I wanna know, what’s one goal that you set for yourself this summer? Like to help you maybe through your college season or just like baseball in general, like what’s one goal that you wanna achieve?
Brian: Mostly working on my defense in my play. Also, plate discipline which hopefully will help me transfer to a new school.
Gabriella: That’s great, good luck with that! So now that we’ve covered the big stuff, I kind of want to switch gears and we’re gonna do some rapid fire questions. You’re just gonna give me the first thing that comes to mind. Are you ready?
Brian: Yes.
Gabriella: Okay. First one, what’s your walkup song?
Brian: My walkup song is “Don KBRN Freestyle” by Eladio Carrion.
Gabriella: Oh, I love Eladio Carrion. Favorite personal highlight?
Brian: My one and only home run at the junior college.
Gabriella: Ooh, nice. How about any nicknames? Like what do your teammates call you?
Brian: My teammates in high school, they used to call me Iceman. Iceman. So I stay like that. And I also put it as my username on Instagram.
Gabriella: Oh, wow. Wait, what do the Blue Sox teammates call you? Do they call you Iceman, too?
Brian: Yeah.
Gabriella: Alright, favorite Latin artist?
Brian: He’s actually Venezuelan, his artistic name is TRO.
Gabriella: Okay, I will definitely look into him.
Favorite off day activity or hangout spot?
Brian: Well, we like to go to a lake that’s pretty close. We like to get on a boat. And, and just enjoy the moment.
Gabriella: Yeah. There are such nice lakes here. Best Utica meal so far?
Brian: Well, I haven’t really grown out to eat a lot, but with the team after the games, the pizza that they gave us, it’s pretty good.
Gabriella: And it’s right next door. It’s called Tony’s.
Brian: Yeah it’s pretty good.
Gabriella: So we had a teammate submit a question because I interviewed CJ before this, so he asked me to ask you, what’s your (jersey) number and why did you choose it?
Brian: Here, I didn’t choose it. But I normally use number seven. Just because my dad got me into it and I really like it a lot. It’s also in Venezuela, they say that it gives you good luck–the number “7”.
Gabriella: That’s cool. I did not know that. And last question–what’s the dream?
Brian: The dream will be playing professional baseball.
Gabriella: Where would you want to play?
Brian: Everywhere. Wherever I can be, it would be a dream to play professionally.
Gabriella: Alright, so to wrap up we ask this closing question for all our players. So a lot of our viewers and fans are young players who dream of making it to the next level and playing baseball as a job. So what’s some advice you would give to a younger player who dreams of following in your footsteps and playing baseball?
Brian: Yeah, just focus on it. Don’t let disruptions distract you from your dream and trust your coaches. Do what they say.
Gabriella: Yeah. That’s great advice. Thank you.
All right, well that is all I have for you today. So thank you for agreeing to meet with me and this was a lot of fun. And good luck tonight.
Brian: Of course. Thank you.