MLB Draft Scouting Report: Jace Laviolette is a slam dunk first-round pick

Following the conclusion of the 2024 MLB Draft, Jace Laviolette was a name immediately circled as the potential first overall pick in the 2025 draft.

Laviolette was one of the better players in the country last year, even among the draft-eligible players at the time, coming away with First Team All-American honors for both D1 Baseball and Baseball America. He has unfortunately slipped on a number of recent rankings, but is still a slam dunk to be selected in the front half of the first round this July.

Jace Laviolette Scouting Report: Bio & Tools

What immediately jumps off the page for Laviolette is the physical presence and power profile. He does a great job of leveraging his big frame and long levers to tap into plus-plus power. He posts some of the top exit velocities in college baseball and doesn't have a hard time doing it consistently.

Plenty of that hard contact is in the air as well, which only elevates his potential as a big league power hitter. He hit 50 home runs between his freshman and sophomore seasons at Texas A&M, and despite a slow start to 2025, is already up to 15 as of April 19th. He leaves the yard from gap to gap, but most of his power is to the pull side.

The main concern for Laviolette at the plate is the hit tool. He deploys a patient approach and makes excellent swing decisions, however, there is a lot of swing and miss in his game. It's a risk teams will have to run if they want to take him with their first round pick — especially within the top five.

Typically, teams are looking for a better combination of skills at the top end of a draft rather than just one really loud tool, which is the case for Laviolette. Breaking and off-speed pitches are what cause him the most problems, as he has looked pretty good against fastballs and higher velocities.

The 45-grade hit tool does pose a risk for his overall profile. However, I believe his above-average plate discipline gives him a high enough floor to where he shouldn't struggle too much to tap into his gargantuan power at the next level.

Despite the power-first profile, Laviolette is actually an above-average defender and runner for someone of his stature. Because of his size, he's destined to play right field long-term, but has done a solid job of manning center field during his career at Texas A&M.

His move to right field won't necessarily be a knock to his profile either, as he possesses a plus arm that will fit in well in the corner. He also stole a total of 25 bases between his freshman and sophomore year, and while I wouldn't bank on him being a 20+ stolen base threat at the next level, he's certainly not going to be a liability on the bases. The defensive/athletic profile draws a lot of similarities to Aaron Judge.

Jace Laviolette 2025 MLB Draft Outlook

In my recent mock draft, I have Laviolette being selected 12th overall in the first round to the Texas Rangers. The consensus among the industry at the moment is that he falls somewhere between eight and fifteen, but can reinsert himself in the top five conversation if he continues to heat up deep into conference and postseason play.

I already stated that Laviolette had a slow start to the season which raised a lot of red flags. There should be a year over year progression with draft prospects, and Laviolette simply wasn't keeping pace with his sophomore campaign.

Teams are likely to pass on players that seemingly peaked earlier in their college career, but fortunately for Laviolette, he is working on putting that narrative to rest. Over the past month and change, he has produced at the same rate that made him one of the top draft prospects heading into the 2025 season.

The Rangers have prioritized college talent in their recent drafts, so it feels right that he ends up with Texas if he is available with the 12th pick. Seventeen of their 20 selections last year were from the college ranks, while three of their last five first-round selections were college bats.

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