Texas A&M baseball star Jace LaViolette is proving why he is considered a top prospect in the 2025 MLB draft.
The 21-year-old star starred for the No. 1 Aggies during the opening weekend of college baseball with three home runs over three days to kickstart his likely final season in college. The Aggie’s centerfielder had two home runs on Saturday, and another Sunday as Texas A&M swept Elon at Blue Bell Park in Bryan-College Station, Texas.
LaViolette hit 29 home runs last season for Texas A&M, helping guide the program to a College World Series championship appearance against Tennessee despite an injury to Braden Montgomery. The Aggies star set the school freshman record with 21 homers in 2023 and has 50 through his first two seasons.
He enters the 2025 season regarded as one of the top prospects for the 2025 MLB draft. Here’s a look at LaViolette opening weekend stats and more:
Jace LaViolette opening weekend stats
LaViolette had just three hits over the weekend in 10 at-bats. However, all three of those hits turned out to be home runs. He also had seven RBIs and two stolen bases, and he scored four runs over the weekend while walking four times and only striking out three times.
He went hitless in three at-bats on opening day on Friday but did draw a walk. On Saturday, he hit a first-inning solo home run and then added a grand slam in the sixth inning to help the Aggies to a 16-6 run-rule victory in seven innings. On Sunday, LaViolette hit a two-run home run in the first inning.
Here’s a look at Laviolette’s home run on Sunday in the first inning vs. Elon:
Jace LaViolette scouting report
According to MLB.com, LaViolette is the No. 2 prospect in the 2025 MLB draft. He received a 60 overall grade; his most potent tool is his 65-power grade. LaViolette also provides good base running, as he had 18 stolen bases in 22 attempts in his freshman season.
Here’s what MLB.com says about LaViolette:
‘Few high schoolers in the 2022 class could match LaViolette’s combination of physicality and athleticism, but swing-and-miss concerns left teams hesitant to buy him out of his Texas A&M commitment. Three years later, he’s a candidate to become the first four-year college outfielder to go No. 1 overall since Darin Erstad in 1995 and should surpass Asa Lacy (No. 4 in 2020) as the highest-drafted Aggie ever. He set a school freshman record with 21 homers in 2023 before going deep 29 times and leading Texas A&M to the Men’s College World Series Finals last year.
‘Possessing as much raw power as anyone in the Draft, LaViolette is built to crush balls with a quick left-handed stroke, the strength and leverage in his impressive 6-foot-6 frame and a focus on launching pitches to his pull side. He also makes quality swing decisions and established an Aggies record with 64 walks in 68 games last spring. The lone flaw in his offensive game does scare some teams, however, because he frequently swings and misses within the strike zone, even on fastballs.
‘Remarkably athletic for his size, LaViolette posts solid run times out of the batter’s box and is even quicker once he gets going. He played the outfield corners as a freshman before moving to center field last spring, with most evaluators projecting him to spend the bulk of his big league career in right. His power and solid arm strength fit the right-field profile to a tee.’
