​LSU baseball signee Jensen Hirschkorn was selected by the Atlanta Braves with the 84th overall pick in the third round of the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday, July 11. The high school pitcher stands as the second LSU signee taken in this year’s draft, trailing only Logan Schmidt in the LSU pipeline. Hirschkorn, a right-handed thrower, is expected to sign a professional contract rather than join Jay Johnson and the Tigers in college.
Standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 205 pounds, Hirschkorn presents a formidable mound presence. As the MLB Draft approached, MLB Pipeline ranked him as the 56th-best player in this year’s draft class. When projections were updated for the draft, Hirschkorn carried a slot value of $973,700 at No. 84 overall, underscoring the Braves’ confidence in his potential.
Hirschkorn already features a solid three-pitch mix, anchored by a fastball that sits in the 95-96 mph range and comes out with minimal effort. Scouts believe that as he matures physically and adds strength, his fastball could tick into the triple digits. This potential huge velocity, combined with his height and projectable frame, makes him an enticing investment for Atlanta.
For LSU, the news marks another wave of attrition in a year that has seen the Tigers pursue several avenues to bolster their pitching staff. Johnson and LSU pitching coach Nate Yeskie have repeatedly indicated that securing Hirschkorn to campus would be challenging, prompting the program to explore the transfer portal earlier this offseason for additional experienced right-handed arms. Among the pitchers LSU considered bringing in from other programs were Landon Hood from Gonzaga, Diego Velazquez from USC, and Kaden Smith from South Florida, all of whom could help offset the absence of a committed high-profile pitcher like Hirschkorn.
Beyond Hirschkorn, LSU’s 2026 signing class includes five other right-handed pitchers: Cooper Sides, Dylan Blomker, Kolby Stringer, Coleton Brady, and Braydon Wisener. The expectation is that several, if not all, of these arms will eventually report to campus to bolster the Tigers’ rotation and bullpen as they prepare for the post-draft era.
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter at @ByCoryDiaz. If you have questions about LSU athletics, you can reach Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com. This story originally appeared in the Lafayette Daily Advertiser with a focus on LSU baseball signee Jensen Hirschkorn being drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 2026 MLB Draft, a detail that contributes to the broader national coverage of LSU’s recruiting and draft outcomes.