Guardians drafted Texas A&M OF Jace LaViolette with the No. 27 selection of the 2025 Draft.
LaViolette entered the draft as one of the favorites to be one of the first college bats off the board, but an inconsistent — at best — season saw his draft stock drop significantly. When he’s at his best, he’s an outfielder who shows plus power in his left-handed bat, and the exit velocities are generally good. You gotta put the ball into play for that to matter, and he didn’t do that nearly enough in 2025. There’s upside in LaViolette’s arm, but there’s also a good deal of risk.