Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40 

The top recruit in Texas A&M's 2022 class, LaViolette is one of the more physical high school prospects available in the Draft at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds. A thumb injury sidelined him for part of the showcase circuit last summer and he struggled to find his timing when he returned, but he has looked better at the plate this spring. The rest of his tools all have a chance to be solid or better. 

It all comes down to the bat with LaViolette. He has smoothed out a hitch in his left-handed swing, though evaluators still worry about his pitch recognition and ability to handle quality velocity on the inner half of the plate. He does have well above-average raw power thanks to his combination of strength, solid bat speed and leverage. 

LaViolette has plus straight-line speed and is more of a solid runner on the bases. His quickness gives him a chance to play center field, and if he can't stick there he should have enough arm strength for right field. He has been clocked up to 88 mph on the mound. 

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 65 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

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.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

LaViolette entered 2025 as the favorite to go first overall in the Draft but had a disappointing junior season that caused him to fall to the 27th overall pick. The Guardians were thrilled to snap him up -- one of the most excited the front office has been for a first-rounder in recent seasons -- and went over slot to sign him for $4 million. LaViolette did not play in pro ball after suffering a fractured left hand in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, but the club believes that with some small mechanical changes, they can unlock his massive potential.

The Texas A&M product is a rare physical specimen who hits the ball extremely hard. The Aggies' all-time homer leader (68) has a quick swing with thunderous natural thump, although he tended to get too low in his swing at the start of last season, which prevented him from rotating like normal and flattened his swing path. The hope is that the Guardians can get him back to his natural approach of elevating more. He does still need to access that power, though, and he ran a subpar 71 percent contact rate last year, particularly vulnerable to spin and fellow lefties. His discerning eye and strong swing decisions help mitigate the hit tool risk, as he walked at a 21.8 percent clip in 2025.

LaViolette has impressive straight-line speed, especially considering he's listed at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds. That speed hasn't yet shown up in steals totals since he stands out most when underway. Still, the Guardians will give him a chance to stick in center, given his quality reads, even though it's rare for someone his size to play that position in the Majors -- and he has room to add more weight. If he does have to slide to right field, he'll have plenty of arm and should be a defensive asset.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 65 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

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. He set Aggies career records with 68 homers and 169 walks during three years in College Station, though 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. He fell to the bottom of the first round but did land the largest over-slot bonus in the top 27 picks, signing for $4 million.

Possessing as much raw power as anyone in the 2025 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, which led 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.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/31/2026	OF Jace LaViolette assigned to Lake County Captains from ACL Guardians.
	03/14/2026	OF Jace LaViolette assigned to Cleveland Guardians.
	03/05/2026	OF Jace LaViolette assigned to Cleveland Guardians Prospects.
	08/11/2025	OF Jace LaViolette assigned to ACL Guardians.
	07/26/2025	Cleveland Guardians signed OF Jace LaViolette.
	06/03/2025	OF Jace LaViolette assigned to College Workout.
	02/21/2025	OF Jace LaViolette assigned to Texas A&M Aggies.
	02/20/2024	OF Jace LaViolette assigned to Texas A&M Aggies.
	06/26/2023	OF Jace LaViolette assigned to USAB Stars Team.
	06/08/2023	OF Jace LaViolette assigned to College Workout.
	02/24/2023	OF Jace LaViolette assigned to Texas A&M Aggies.
	06/05/2022	OF Jace LaViolette and assigned to College Workout.
	07/13/2021	PG National 8 - Purple activated OF Jace LaViolette.