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On the eve of the 2026 MLB Draft, Jay Johnson and company got a massive surprise when Aledo, Texas outfielder/left-handed pitcher Lucas Nawrocki announced Friday night on his Instagram that he would be withdrawing from the draft and enrolling at LSU.
Nawrocki really made a name for himself at the MLB Draft Combine and Over the Slot's Joe Doyle projected Nawrocki as a prospect who could command $2 million from an MLB team. Nawrocki can legitimately play both ways, with a fastball that comfortably sits 95 MPH from the left side, a slider that some scouts say is the best among high schoolers, and he showed off some pretty impressive pop in his bat.
The knock on Nawrocki is his physicality. Listed at 5'11", scouts feel like he'll never project to a starter at the Major League level, though he could certainly develop into a high-leverage lefty reliever, and that likely factored into getting Nawrocki to campus.
Nawrocki will get the chance to play both ways at LSU, but his immediate future is in the bullpen. LSU's lineup is more or less set, but the Tigers desperately need some more left-handed pitching coming out of the bullpen. The only lefty relievers LSU has returning are Danny Lachenmayer, Cooper Williams, and Ethan Plogg, and that is Nawrocki's ticket to some immediate playing time in 2027.
Nawrocki is the third marquee recruit from Jay Johnson's class to bypass the draft and stick with their LSU commitment, joining outfielder Nathaneal Davis and Braxton Beaty, another lefty pitcher.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Elite two-way prospect sticks with LSU baseball, turns down draft
Continue reading...
Nawrocki really made a name for himself at the MLB Draft Combine and Over the Slot's Joe Doyle projected Nawrocki as a prospect who could command $2 million from an MLB team. Nawrocki can legitimately play both ways, with a fastball that comfortably sits 95 MPH from the left side, a slider that some scouts say is the best among high schoolers, and he showed off some pretty impressive pop in his bat.
The knock on Nawrocki is his physicality. Listed at 5'11", scouts feel like he'll never project to a starter at the Major League level, though he could certainly develop into a high-leverage lefty reliever, and that likely factored into getting Nawrocki to campus.
Nawrocki will get the chance to play both ways at LSU, but his immediate future is in the bullpen. LSU's lineup is more or less set, but the Tigers desperately need some more left-handed pitching coming out of the bullpen. The only lefty relievers LSU has returning are Danny Lachenmayer, Cooper Williams, and Ethan Plogg, and that is Nawrocki's ticket to some immediate playing time in 2027.
Nawrocki is the third marquee recruit from Jay Johnson's class to bypass the draft and stick with their LSU commitment, joining outfielder Nathaneal Davis and Braxton Beaty, another lefty pitcher.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Elite two-way prospect sticks with LSU baseball, turns down draft
Continue reading...
