The Cleveland Guardians didn’t play it safe in the 2025 MLB Draft.
Instead, they swung for the fences with a low-risk/high-reward pickup.
Now, fans might be thrilled to hear that the player is being compared to Aaron Judge.
“At No. 27, they took this kid Jace LaViolette, outfielder from Texas A&M, some have called [him the] ‘Aaron Judge of college baseball.’ His negatives is that he strikes out too much, so they’ll have to work with him in that regard,” Bruce Drennan said.
Some are calling #Guardians first round pick Jace LaViolette the AARON JUDGE of college baseball. #GuardsBall
"His negatives is that he strikes out too much."
-Bruce pic.twitter.com/htfYR2MmlU
— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) July 20, 2025
Of course, it’s way too early to tell how LaViolette is going to fare, but on paper, he has the physical tools to be a similar player.
At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, he can hit the ball out of the park on any swing.
But, like Drennan said, he needs to cut down on his strikeouts.
He needs to make better decisions at the plate, as he tends to chase pitches, especially when he’s behind in the count.
Additionally, he’s unlikely to suit up in the minors this season as he recovers from a hand injury that required surgery.
LaViolette was once projected to be the No. 1 pick in his class, and that should say enough about his upside and talent.
His strikeout rate made him drop on some boards, but he was still projected as a top-20 prospect, so getting him at No. 27 might end up being a steal.
If he cleans up his game, he has the potential to be a dominant slugger.
NEXT: Gavin Williams Notches Notable Season-High Against Athletics
