Former Texas A&M star Jace LaViolette is showing signs of life in the minors, but strikeouts remain the hurdle between real progress and a call-up push.
Jace LaViolette hasn’t exactly had a straight-line climb through minor league baseball, but the former Texas A&M slugger is starting to look a lot more comfortable at the plate.
And for a power bat trying to force his way into a bigger conversation, that matters.
LaViolette’s overall numbers still don’t jump off the page. He’s currently slashing .235/.278/.294, which tells the story of a hitter still trying to turn loud contact into steady production.
But baseball development isn’t always about the season-long line. Sometimes, it’s about what’s happening right now. And right now, LaViolette is beginning to stack the kind of at-bats that make people pay attention.
The biggest sign of progress has been the hit column. LaViolette has picked up at least one hit in 12 of his last 13 games, including an 11-game hitting streak.
For a player who has dealt with some early inconsistency, that stretch is a big deal. It shows he’s not just running into the occasional mistake. He’s finding ways to stay involved offensively night after night.
That’s the part that should encourage anyone watching his development. LaViolette has never lacked raw ability.
When he gets the barrel to the baseball, the impact is obvious. The former Aggies standout has the frame, strength and swing path that still scream future run producer.
He doesn’t need to prove the power is real. He needs to prove he can access it often enough against better pitching.
That’s where the concern comes in.
The strikeouts are still loud. Over his last four games, LaViolette has struck out nine times in 17 at-bats.
Yes, he also has four hits in that same stretch, but that kind of swing-and-miss rate is going to be tested hard as he moves up. Pitchers at higher levels won’t just challenge him.
They’ll attack the holes until he forces them to adjust.
Still, this is what minor league baseball is supposed to be about. It’s not a finished product league.
It’s a development grind, and LaViolette is showing enough positive movement to keep the arrow pointing up.
The next step is simple, but not easy: keep the contact gains coming, cut down the empty at-bats and turn this recent hot stretch into something sustainable.
If Jace LaViolette does that, the call-up conversation won’t stay quiet for long.
