There is much to like about the Aggie outfielder, Jace LaViolette; he has elite power, good speed and athleticism, and he is likely to draw walks throughout his career. In fact, he was even slated to be a top 5 pick until his rather underwhelming junior season. If late risers are particularly attractive, then late drops can be concerning. So should the Astros draft the Aggie if he is available? At the very least they should consider it.
Jace LaViolette is a 6’6” lefty and has the potential to hit 40 homers a year. At TAMU he hit a school record 68 home runs, which is nothing to scoff at in the SEC. The problem is that his batting average and K% went in the wrong direction this past season. He was hurt for a significant portion of this season with a wrist injury though, so you have to take the drop in production with a grain of salt. Still, he hit under 300 his junior season, and his K% was 25%. Furthermore, according to Baseball America, if Jace is drafted in the first round, his draft year batting average will be the 3rd worst of any first round pick since 1981. Can the Astros take a risk like that?
Drafting in the bottom of the first round is not usually going to net an everyday MLB player, so why not draft a guy who has massive upside like LaViolette? There are legitimate concerns about his bat to ball skills, but George Springer and Aaron Judge were also criticized for their pre-mlb strikeout rates. LaViolette has the swing and athleticism to make the adjustments necessary.
Below are some of LaViolette’s highlights from 2025. He generates a lot of power from his hips and glutes and, looking at his body, it looks like he has the frame to add a few more pounds of muscle. A good player development system will find a lot of good tools to work with.
If Jace LaViolette is available at 21, the Astros should take him. Yes, his junior year was a set back, yes he is going to have to develop better contact skills. However, he has the potential to play an above average right field, and hit 30 homers a year with enough walks to keep the line moving. Besides, College Station is a quick drive to Houston.
Who do you all think will be the Pick? Comment below!