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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 11: MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks during the 2026 MLB Draft at Pennsylvania Convention Center on July 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Following what everyone would consider a failure of a year, Jay Johnson has been hard at work on returning LSU Baseball to the mountaintop as he’s done twice in his first five years. Helping him to that mountaintop were a few of the players that heard their name called on day 1 of the MLB Draft yesterday. While it’s been fairly clear which Tigers may be destined to advance their career to professional baseball, when they would be drafted was the big question. We got answers for three of those players, as Derek Curiel, Jake Brown, and Deven Sheerin each were drafted in the first four rounds.
While the additions from the transfer portal have been phenomenal, the core of the program is built through homegrown talent with recruiting classes. Classes that include players like Curiel and Brown. Unfortunately for those involved with building college baseball programs, the MLB Draft and it’s process can lead to a lot volatility. While coaches generally have an idea of who may or may not make it to campus, things can change quickly and that leads to ongoing questions about who will actually put on an LSU uniform.
Last year, Jay Johnson lost eight members of his recruiting class to the MLB Draft, including each of the top-6. Seven of those were gone by the end of the 4th round, which made for a really tough result for the Tigers and their crop of incoming freshman. Although a few guys like Omar Serna and Mason Braun burst on to the scene, hindsight makes you wonder what could have been.
So far in the 2026 Draft, things are looking far more promising for Johnson and co. Only three members of this year’s class were selected on day 1, which consists of the first four rounds. Shockingly, there are quite a few names still on the board that most expected to be gone by this point. Will they all make it to campus, absolutely not. But, if LSU is able to land one or two of the otherwise considered “longshots”, the future continues to look special for the program.
Current LSU players drafted
#5 – Derek Curiel by Pittsburgh Pirates (1st round, slot value $8,336,500)
After being one of the big surprises to pass on the draft and head to LSU in 2024, Curiel stepped on to campus and immediately became an impact player. He helped lead the Tigers to their 8th title as a freshman, then followed it up with another fantastic year after shifting from left to centerfield. In two seasons in Baton Rouge, Curiel hit .349 with a .452 on-base %. He drove in 101 RBIs and scored 131 runs. Pittsburgh is getting a super-athletic fielder and an elite bat-to-ball hitter. He struck out just 99 times in nearly 500 at-bats and also has incredible plate vision, drawing 87 walks.
#65 – Jake Brown by Seattle Mariners (2nd round, slot value $1,382,600)
Although his LSU career ended with a hamate injury in the back half of 2026, Jake Brown had a fantastic career as a Tiger. From forcing his way in to the starting lineup as a freshman in 2024, to becoming a top power bat in the SEC this past season, the junior became a fan-favorite. There was word that he was strongly considering a return to LSU for his senior season like Steven Milam, but when he showed up to the MLB Combine and scouts saw that he was one of the most athletic outfielders in the draft, the odds of 30 teams letting him slip back to campus were low. In his three season, Brown hit .304 with 28 homeruns and 110 RBIs. He was easily on pace to surpass 20 bombs in 2026, already having 16 when his season ended with 4 weeks left in the regular season. Seattle is getting an incredibly dynamic athlete that will be one of the fastest players on whatever team he’s on. He has a cannon for an arm, which is what got him drafted in the 19th round out of high school as a LHP. Brown will look to reunite with a former teammate and fellow member of LSU’s 2024 freshman class, Kade Anderson.
128 – Deven Sheerin by Philadelphia Phillies (4th round, slot $597,400)
Although Sheerin was a Tiger for two years, he only played in one season this past year. He bounced back from missing all of 2025 by being LSU’s most consistent pitcher this past season. He finished with a 4.78 ERA in 37.2 innings of work, striking out 58 along the way. Philadelphia is getting a massive, attitude driven competitor that looks like he’s trying to throw the baseball through his catcher. As a nightmare matchup against righties, he could become one of the top bullpen arms at the very least. With only 107.2 innings on his arm over the past three years, Sheerin is fresh and has even more projectability in his arsenal.
2026 recruits drafted
#59 – LHP Logan Schmidt by Cleveland Guardians (2nd round, slot $1,598,900)
The past few weeks have been a rollercoaster for Schmidt’s projection. A month ago, he was considered a lock to be selected early in the draft. Then, after some poor interviews at the combine, he suddenly changed agents just a few weeks before the draft, which is never a good thing. Seemingly requesting a high number for his signing bonus, it will be interesting to see what the Guardians ended up giving him to convince him not to go to LSU.
#84 – RHP Jensen Hirschkorn by Atlanta Braves (3rd round, slot $973,700)
Hirschkorn, too, had his projection in question leading in to the draft. He had always been considered a lock to be drafted and sign, doubts about his signability started to spread over the past week. His number was said to be up as high as $4 million, but as you can see with the slot value above, it’s likely that the Braves were able to negotiate his price down. Scouts believe that he would become a 1st rounder after a few seasons in college had he chosen that route, so Atlanta most-certainly had to still pay up to convince him to sign.
#115 – OF Wessley Roberson by Miami Marlins (4th round, Marlins: $677,500)
Never really expected to make it college, Roberson was the first position player of the class to be selected. He’s lefty with good contact and was ranked #175 by ESPN.
Stayed tuned in with us at ATVS more nonstop coverage of day 2 with rounds 5-20!
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