The Cleveland Guardians rolled the dice big-time with their first-round pick.
They took Texas A&M standout Jace LaViolette with the No. 27 selection.
And while some believe he could end up being one of the steals of the MLB Draft, he doesn’t come devoid of risks and questions.
As pointed out by Guardians Prospective on X, LaViolette just underwent a second surgery this past week.
Cleveland #Guardians 2025 MLB 1st Round Draft Pick #27 overall OF Jace LaViolette underwent a second surgery this past week on his broken hand that he suffered with Texas A&M during this years Southeastern Conference Tournament.
The procedure was said to minor and just a…
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 14, 2025
He addressed a broken hand injury he sustained with the Aggies during this season’s Southeastern Conference Tournament.
Per the report, the procedure was said to be minor and ‘just a cleanup.’
Nevertheless, the Guardians might want to err on the side of caution and hold him out, preventing him from making his minor league debut this season.
LaViolette has the physical tools to be a superstar at the next level, and not so long ago, he was reportedly in the conversation to be the first player off the board in his class.
He’s also MLB.com’s No. 20 prospect, so the Guardians may have gotten great value with their selection by getting him seven picks later.
Still, on top of this worrisome injury and potential shutdown, he also showed plenty of issues at the plate.
He posted a 25 percent strikeout rate in his final season with the Aggies, and he has a tendency to chase pitches.
Other than that, there’s no reason to believe that LaViolette can’t be a superstar at the next level, but having him sit out this season will only delay his much-needed development.
NEXT: Guardians Receive Notable Grade For First-Round Draft Pick
