LSU Baseball Players in the MLB
Contents
Keep up with all the LSU baseball players who are making it big in the MLB! We’ll track their stats, highlight their achievements, and bring you all the latest news on your favorite Tigers.
Introduction
Since the LSU baseball program’s inception in 1893, 123 players have gone on to play Major League Baseball As of the 2019 season, there are 31 former LSU baseball players on MLB rosters. This list includes All-Stars, World Series champions, MVPs, and Cy Young Award winners.
The early days
Baseball has been a part of LSU since the 1890s, and the Tigers have been sending players to the Major Leagues since 1901. Early LSU stars like Chick Hafey and Billy Herman went on to successful careers in the big leagues and the school has continued to be a pipeline for professional talent in the decades since.
LSU has had more than its share of success on the diamond, winning seventeen SEC championships and eleven NCAA titles The Tigers have also produced a long line of Major League ballplayers, with more than two hundred former LSU players reaching the show.
Notable LSU Baseball alumni include Lou Brock Ben McDonald Warren Morris, and Albert Pujols These four players represent only a small fraction of the talent that has come out of Baton Rouge and they are just a few of the many reasons why LSU is considered one of the best baseball schools in the country.
The first LSU player in the MLB
The first LSU player in the MLB was Al exempts, who played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1892 to 1896. since then, LSU has had over 100 players drafted by MLB teams, With many going on to have successful careers in the big leagues Here are some of the most notable LSU baseball players in the MLB.
The golden era
Since the late 1990s, LSU has been one of the most dominant programs in college baseball The Tigers have won five National Championships produced dozens of All-Americans and sent scores of players to the professional ranks.
LSU has particularly excelled in the MLB Draft with dozens of players being selected in the first round over the past two decades. In fact, LSU has had more first-round picks than any other school since 2000.
LSU’s MLB draft success is a reflection of the program’s overall success. The Tigers have won at least 50 games in 14 straight seasons, a streak that is unprecedented in college baseball history.
The modern era
Since the modern Era of Baseball began in 1901, LSU has been represented in the Major Leagues by over 200 former players. Thirty-three of those former Tigers have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame or the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame The most notable, recent conspicuous LSU alumnus in Major League Baseball is two-time World Series Champion, former MVP, and current Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa.
LSU has also been represented by a number of fine players who did not reach the same level of prominence as Correa but still had successful professional careers. Second baseman Mike Fontenot, who played for four teams over eleven seasons, is one example. In 2004, he was named to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team after hitting .305 with 11 home runs and 50 RBI for the Chicago Cubs
The present day
The present day
As of the 2019 Major League Baseball season, there are 12 former Lsu Baseball players on MLB rosters. JaCoby Jones, Alex Bregman, Kevin Gausman DJ LeMahieu, Jared Walsh, Austin Nola, Daniel Bard, Andrew Stevenson, Hunter Foster, MattOtt, Will Harris and Zack Hess.
The future of LSU baseball
As the 2019 MLB season comes to a close, we take a look at the future of LSU baseball and the players that could be making an impact in the Major Leagues in the years to come.
LSU has produced some of the best baseball players in the country over the past few years and that success looks set to continue into the future. Here are some of the LSU players that could be making an impact in the MLB in the years to come.
Pitcher Alex Lange was drafted in the first round by the Chicago Cubs in 2017 and is currently one of the top prospects in their farm system He is expected to make his MLB debut sometime in 2020 and has the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation starter for years to come.
Outfielder Antoine Duplantis was drafted by the New York Mets in 2018 and is already making his way through their farm system. He is expected to reach the Majors by 2021 and has All-Star potential.
Shortstop Josh Smith was drafted by the Houston Astros in 2018 and is currently one of their top prospects He is expected to make his MLB debut sometime in 2020 and has All-Star potential.
Conclusion
As of the 2019 major league baseball season, there are 29 former LSU Tigers baseball players on MLB rosters, including 18 pitchers, eight Position players and three catchers. The group is headlined by two-time World Series champion pitcher David Price, as well as 2017 National League Rookie of the Year recipient and outfielder Cody Bellinger
References
-http://www.lsusports.net/fls/5200/baseballnotes.pdf
-http://www.ncaa.com/history/baseball/d1
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Louisiana_State_University_baseball_players
Further reading
-Alex Bregman
-Andrew Stevenson
-Ben McDonald
-Blake Dean
-DJ LeMahieu
-JaCoby Jones
-Jake Fraley
– Jared Poche
-Kade Scivicque
-Kevin Gausman
-Leonardo Molina
– LSU Tigers in the Major League Baseball Draft