The 11th round of the MLB Draft may feel like it’s buried in the back half of the draft, but it’s actually an intriguing spot for teams to find talent. As the first round following the bonus pools for the top 10 rounds, teams have more flexibility to target players who may have slipped due to signability or other factors.
The Astros have found some intriguing prospects there in recent years, including Ryan Clifford and Nehomar Ochoa. In 2024, they may have found another one when they selected catcher Jason Schiavone in the 11th round.
Schiavone was drafted out of James Madison and assigned to Single-A Fayetteville following the draft, where he struggled, batting .156 with just two home runs over 20 games. He returned to Fayetteville to begin the 2025 season and experienced some of the same struggles, hitting .165 with five home runs over 70 games.
To start the 2026 season, the Astros assigned Schiavone to High-A Asheville, and he looked like a completely different hitter. Through his first 33 games, Schiavone batted .300 with 17 home runs and 36 walks.
“I think it’s more my mindset when I’m going into the games,” Schiavone said about the biggest difference this year. “Just trusting whatever I’m doing in my preparation and just going into the game, having fun and competing and putting it in God’s hands.”
One thing that really stood out in Asheville, outside of his power, was his patient approach at the plate. Schiavone posted a 23.2% walk rate and a .452 on-base percentage in High-A. But that patience doesn’t mean he’s passive when he gets a pitch to hit.
“I’m trying to be as aggressive as I can be in the box,” Schiavone said about his approach. “If the ball comes across the plate in my zone, I’m going for it and there’s no holding back.
“I want to swing the bat and do whatever I can to help the team win, but sometimes that does come with walking and so I’ll take whatever I can to get on base and help the boys win.”
Going from a .165 batting average and .689 OPS in 2025 to a .263 average and .948 OPS in 2026 doesn’t happen without making adjustments. For Schiavone, the biggest change was actually simplifying things.
“The biggest thing was definitely just simplifying my whole swing,” Schiavone said. “I can create some power so I don’t need to make anything more than what I already have… Just getting in the box and swinging at pitches over the heart of the plate and putting some good swings.”
MLB Pipeline recently highlighted Schiavone’s work ethic and his reputation as a student of the game, something that becomes clear when talking with him about his approach.
“I love the game so much and I’m trying to learn as much as I possibly can from every aspect of the game,” Schiavone said. “Whether that’s the opposing team lineup, opposing pitchers. I love just trying to find out as much as I possibly can and just learning because that’s what I’m here for right now.”
While much of the attention has been on his offensive improvement, and rightfully so, Schiavone has also put in plenty of work behind the plate.
“I think my receiving and my blocking have definitely been the big things that I’ve worked on this whole time, and those are the biggest jumps I’ve seen,” Schiavone said about his defense.
Following our conversation, Schiavone headed to the bullpen for extra work on his pitch framing and receiving. His work behind the plate has shown up in games, too, as he’s thrown out an impressive 47% of attempted base stealers in Double-A this season.
“I’d say the main thing for me is just keeping my arm healthy and, if anything, making it a little bit stronger and just trying to put the ball close to the bag and let my infield take over,” Schiavone said.
Schiavone also raved about infielder Max Holy and how his ability to pick throws around the bag has made his job easier.
The breakout has resulted in a huge boost to Schiavone’s prospect stock over the last year, and he now consistently ranks among the top prospects in the Astros’ system.
“I just want to thank God for that one,” Schiavone said. “It’s not all me, it’s God putting me in the situation that I can be in and giving me the opportunity to just come out here and play ball and showcase myself.”
Schiavone has seen quite the rise over the last calendar year, but this may only be the beginning for the 23-year-old. With a patient approach at the plate, big-time raw power, a strong arm and continued improvement with his receiving and blocking, Schiavone has developed into one of the more intriguing catching prospects in the Astros’ system.
If he continues on his current trajectory, Schiavone has a chance to turn his breakout into something even bigger and eventually earn his way onto a major league roster.
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