The Cleveland Guardians spent the last draft taking Texas A&M product Jace LaViolette in the first round. The sweet-swinging lefty set a school record with 68 home runs and 169 walks and led the Aggies to the College World Series Finals last year.
LaVilette now sits as the team’s No. 8 prospect. Many like his raw power, fast hands, and his ability to move around the basepaths. At 6-foot-6, he could very well become an everyday corner outfielder for the club in the future.
Looking into the future, it will be interesting to see what Cleveland decides to do in next year’s draft. They have taken college players in the first round of the last two drafts, and Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter believes that trend will continue in 2026 as he predicts they will take UC Santa pitcher Jackson Flora.
“Flora pitched alongside 2025 first-round pick Tyler Bremner in the Gauchos’ rotation this spring, and he is poised to step into the staff ace role after going 6-3 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 86 strikeouts in 75 innings. He is a polished, high-floor arm with plus command, and the development of his changeup as a viable third offering will determine how high he can climb on draft boards.”
All eyes will be on Jackson Flora next spring
Jackson Flora is poised to be UC Santa Barbara’s ace next spring. He is an overpowering pitcher, consistently hitting 99 mph with a sweeping slider. He also flips a changeup now and again to keep hitters on their toes, but does not have the best feel for the pitch.
There are some concerns here that, without command of a third pitch, he could become a bullpen arm in the big leagues. He will have to get a better sense of his changeup this upcoming season to really be the draft prospect he can be.
