​What many would call a failed year, Jay Johnson has used as fuel to push LSU Baseball back toward the summit, a feat he’s already achieved twice in his first five seasons. On his path to that mountaintop, he’s been aided by a handful of players who heard their names called on day one of the MLB Draft yesterday. It’s long been clear which Tigers might advance to professional baseball, but the timing of their drafts has always been a major question. We now have answers for three of those players, as Derek Curiel, Jake Brown, and Deven Sheerin all heard their names in the first four rounds.
The transfer portal has provided significant advantages, yet the core of any successful program is built through homegrown talent and solid recruiting classes. Those classes have produced players like Curiel and Brown, among others. For everyone involved in building college baseball programs, the MLB Draft and its unpredictable process can bring a lot of volatility. Coaches can usually forecast who might arrive on campus and who might not, but the variables can shift quickly, leaving everyone to wonder who will actually wear an LSU uniform.
Last year, Johnson faced a challenging reality when eight members of his recruiting class left for the MLB Draft, including all of the top six. Seven departed by the end of the fourth round, creating a tough consequence for the Tigers and their incoming freshman class. While a few players, such as Omar Serna and Mason Braun, managed to emerge, hindsight invites reflection on what could have been.
So far in the 2026 Draft, the outlook for Johnson and the program is brighter. Only three members of this year’s class were selected on day one, which covers the first four rounds. Yet there are still several names on the board—surprises that many expected to be chosen by now. Not every one of them will reach campus, of course, but if LSU can land one or two of these longshots, the program’s future remains exceptionally bright.
Current LSU players drafted:
– #5 Derek Curiel by the Pittsburgh Pirates (1st round, slot value $8,336,500)
Curiel’s path has been remarkable since surprising everyone by forgoing the draft in 2024 to enroll at LSU. He stepped onto campus and immediately became an impact player. He helped lead the Tigers to their eighth title as a freshman, then followed with another outstanding season after moving from left to center field. In two seasons in Baton Rouge, Curiel hit .349 with a .452 on-base percentage, driving in 101 RBIs and scoring 131 runs. Pittsburgh is acquiring a supremely athletic fielder and a high-caliber contact hitter who struck out only 99 times in nearly 500 at-bats and demonstrated exceptional plate discipline, drawing 87 walks.
– #65 Jake Brown by the Seattle Mariners (2nd round, slot value $1,382,600)
Brown’s LSU career concluded with a hamate injury late in the 2026 season, but his time in Baton Rouge was marked by a standout run. He forced his way into the lineup and anchored the Tigers’ offense when healthy, contributing with consistent contact, surprising power, and a fearless approach at the plate. Brown’s resilience and versatility epitomized the program’s depth, and his development over his LSU tenure underscored the value of recruiting and player development in building a championship-caliber team. His journey reflects the broader narrative of LSU Baseball: talent cultivated on campus, supplemented by strategic additions from the transfer portal, and guided by a coaching staff committed to competing at the highest level year after year.