The Cleveland Guardians’ offense has shown signs of improvement in 2026 compared to last year, but the production still hasn’t been quite what it needs to be. Consistency and a lack of power remain issues as the team ranks 18th in the majors in homers with 31, over half of which have come from Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter, and Angel Martinez.
The hope is that the power ticks up a bit now that top prospect Travis Bazzana joined the show earlier this week. It’s an exciting time to be a Guardians fan, because if another big prospect keeps raking like he has been of late, he might not be far behind Bazzana.
Guardians Prospective shared a clip on X of 22-year-old outfielder Jace LaViolette, who hit another two-run homer on Friday for Lake County. It was his fourth homer of the year and raised his OPS to .796.
“Cleveland #Guardians 22yr old OF prospect Jace LaViolette hits a 2-run bomb in the 7th inning for Lake County for his 4th HR of the season!” Guardians Perspective wrote.
Cleveland #Guardians 22yr old OF prospect Jace LaViolette hits a 2-run bomb in the 7th inning for Lake County for his 4th HR of the season!#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/fIZa4nWeIZ
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 2, 2026
LaViolette was the 27th overall pick in last year’s draft and in the midst of his first year in the minors. The early power has been a great sign, but the young slugger still has work to do before he reaches the majors, as any prospect does.
He also has 36 strikeouts in 70 at bats, which is a startling number that is hopefully just evidence that he is knocking off the early-season rust. He has struck out at least once in two of his 18 games, although his 14 walks are impressive.
There is no need to rush LaViolette given how much depth there is in the system these days, particularly in the form of left-handed outfielders. Chase DeLauter has been raking in his rookie campaign while Angel Martinez has taken a big step forward as well. George Valera and C.J. Kayfus have also seen at bats for the Guardians, so LaViolette should feel no pressure to steamroll his way through the minors.
LaViolette was considered to be in the mix for the first overall pick in the months leading up to the 2025 draft, so the Guardians got quite the talent late in Round 1. The power is obvious, and it will be fun to watch him iron out the other wrinkles in his game as he ascends through the minors.
NEXT: Guardians' Big Roster Move Has Bruce Drennan Fired Up
