For Guardians senior vice president of scouting Paul Gillispie, the Southeastern Conference Tournament sold him on Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette.
“He got hit on the hand,” Gillispie said, “had surgery that night, and played the next day. That’s the type of person, the type of competitor, we are dealing with.
That is especially true considering that LaViolette entered his junior year as a candidate to be drafted No. 1 overall. Instead, he was among the final picks of the first round, taken by a team whose shopping cart is normally filled with pitchers and middle infielders.
“He’s a massive guy, with a speed-power-patience profile,” said Gillispie, of the 6-foot-6, 230-pound LaViolette.
What LaViolette did not have going into the draft was momentum. He hit just .258/.427/.576 with 18 home runs in 56 games this spring for a Texas A&M team that ranked No. 1 in the preseason but failed to qualify for 64-team NCAA Tournament field.
The year before, LaViolette belted 29 homers while hitting .305 and slugging .726.
The Guardians keyed in on that power potential, because they went into the draft looking to add some thump.
“It’s good to bring in some guys who have some power—exit velos and raw power,” Gillispie said. “It wasn’t anything strategic. Every draft is a little bit different, especially if you are picking at 27.
“You never really know who is going to be available at the time you pick, but we are really excited about the guys we have, and their power potential.”
A lack of power in the Guardians’ outfield has been especially acute in recent seasons.
In that regard, LaViolette would be a welcome addition to the Cleveland lineup if his power potential manifests into production.