The Aggie is on his way to Cleveland.
The Cleveland Guardians have selected outfielder Jace LaViolette out of Texas A&M University with the No. 27 overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft. LaViolette was the 20th ranked prospect in the draft according to MLB Pipeline
Here’s what MLB Pipeline had to say about him:
“Few high schoolers in the 2022 class could match LaViolette’s combination of physicality and athleticism, but swing-and-miss concerns left teams hesitant to buy him out of his Texas A&M commitment. A down junior season ended his chances to become the first four-year college outfielder to go No. 1 overall since Darin Erstad in 1995, but he’s still one of the best college position players available. He set school career records with 68 homers and 169 walks and led the Aggies to the College World Series Finals last year.
Possessing as much raw power as anyone in the Draft, LaViolette is built to crush balls with a quick left-handed stroke, the strength and leverage in his impressive 6-foot-6 frame and a focus on launching pitches to his pull side. He also makes quality swing decisions but the lone flaw in his offensive game does scare some teams. He frequently swings and misses within the strike zone, even on fastballs, leading to a .258 average with a 25 percent strikeout rate as a junior.
Remarkably athletic for his size, LaViolette posts solid run times out of the batter’s box and is even quicker once he gets going. He played the outfield corners as a freshman before moving to center field last spring, with most evaluators projecting him to spend the bulk of his big league career in right. His power and solid arm strength fit the right-field profile to a tee.”
MLB Pipeline grades LaViolette with a 45 hit tool, 65 power, 55 speed, a 55 arm and 50 for fielding with an overall grade of 55.
For more information about LaViolette, Prep Baseball Draft HQ put out a video with some of his highlights:
With the 27th pick in the 2025 #MLBDraft, the @CleGuardians select OF Jace LaViolette (@AggieBaseball)@PrepBaseball || #MLBDraft25 pic.twitter.com/ONWrC0XKhh
— Prep Baseball Draft HQ (@PB_DraftHQ) July 14, 2025
What are your thoughts on the pick? How would you grade it?