Guardians loaded 2025 draft given high marks by Baseball America

Measuring the final value of an MLB draft is a game of patience. While players in the NFL and NBA can make an impact right after getting draft, the journey for MLB draft picks is more of a slow burn due to the need to rise through the minor league ranks. 

But just because it takes some time for MLB draft picks to make an impact in the bigs doesn’t mean that you aren’t able to evaluate the draft picks’ individual progress. 

Baseball America did that exact task for the Guardians as a part of their draft report card series, and their evaluations should put a smile on every Guardians’ fans face. 

The highest marks were given to Cleveland’s first round draft pick Jace LaViolette, who the Guardians took out of Texas A&M with the No. 27 pick in the draft.

Baseball America had a lot of praise for the Guardians' 2025 draft class

LaViolette entered the 2025 collegiate baseball season as a potential No. 1 pick, but his stock took a bit of a hit after an inconsistent season. 

Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo ranked him as the best power hitter and runner in Cleveland’s draft class, writing “LaViolette has shown an ability to be an impact, middle-of-the-order hitter in three seasons in the SEC and has the sort of power and physicality that would play in the majors right now. As long as he continues tapping into that power and getting on base at a healthy clip in pro ball, he could move quickly.”

The prospect who got the most praise after him was Nolan Schubart, who the Guardians selected in the third round out of Oklahoma State. Schubart appeared in 15 games with Low-A Lynchburg after being drafted, and he hit 59 home runs across three seasons with the Cowboys in college. 

On the pitching side, Will Hynes received high-marks for his slider, which is a great sign considering how the Guardians got him. The Guardians picked Hynes with the Competitive Balance Round B draft pick they got in return for trading Josh Naylor to the Diamondbacks. 

Time will tell if he’s going to stick as a starter, but his junk is already receiving high marks. 

Another pick who seems to be on the rise is Aaron Walton, who the Guardians took with the No. 66 pick out of Arizona. They gave him $1.1 million at signing and also sent him to Lynchburg, where he hit .238 with one home run in 16 games.

He stole 36 bases and is ranked as a top-tier outfielder, and it looks like he could develop into the classic contact-speed outfielder that every winning team needs. 

The Guardians have a roster filled with homegrown talent, and the 2025 draft looks like it could prove to be another breeding ground for players who could headline the Guardians’ next core.