- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,151,736
- Reaction score
- 59
The college baseball transfer portal is officially open and Jay Johnson's LSU program is expected to be a top player. After a disappointing year in Baton Rouge, LSU missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. The lone bright spot is that LSU now has the chance to divert its full attention to the transfer portal.
Last year, LSU was busy winning the College World Series, which put LSU behind the eight ball for portal prospects. That won't be a problem in 2026.
Five LSU Tigers have already announced their portal departures, and more are expected in the coming days. On top of that, LSU will lose a few players to the MLB Draft later this Summer. Johnson aims to reshape the roster as the Tigers hope to return to national title contention in 2027.
As we progress into portal season, we'll dive into potential LSU targets. LSU has plenty of needs -- that means Johnson and Co. will likely focus on getting the best players they can find, regardless of position. Let's take a look at one of the transfer portal's top shortstops.
Before we go any further, let's note that Ben Cleary is draft-eligible. Any team targeting Cleary in the portal will have to worry about his draft status. That can make roster building complicated. Teams don't want to throw a bunch of resources to land a star at a key position, only to be left without options later. That aside, Cleary will still be in high demand.
Cleary posted a .358 batting average in 2026 while walking as much as he struck out. He doesn't possess a ton of power (he only hit five home runs), but LSU needs guys who can deliver consistent quality at-bats. Johnson said that moving forward, LSU will look to develop power in-house while turning to the portal for consistent, professional hitters. Cleary fits that profile.
LSU Baseball | Potential Transfer Portal Target
Ben Cleary Profile
Career Hitting Statistics
LSU has a hole to fill at shortstop, with Steven Milam likely turning pro. Cleary would be a strong candidate to fill that gap. He'd bring nearly 150 games of collegiate experience to Baton Rouge after making 146 starts in three years at Santa Clara.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Santa Clara SS emerges as LSU baseball transfer portal fit
Continue reading...
Last year, LSU was busy winning the College World Series, which put LSU behind the eight ball for portal prospects. That won't be a problem in 2026.
Five LSU Tigers have already announced their portal departures, and more are expected in the coming days. On top of that, LSU will lose a few players to the MLB Draft later this Summer. Johnson aims to reshape the roster as the Tigers hope to return to national title contention in 2027.
As we progress into portal season, we'll dive into potential LSU targets. LSU has plenty of needs -- that means Johnson and Co. will likely focus on getting the best players they can find, regardless of position. Let's take a look at one of the transfer portal's top shortstops.
Could Santa Clara shortstop Ben Cleary be an LSU baseball transfer portal target?
Before we go any further, let's note that Ben Cleary is draft-eligible. Any team targeting Cleary in the portal will have to worry about his draft status. That can make roster building complicated. Teams don't want to throw a bunch of resources to land a star at a key position, only to be left without options later. That aside, Cleary will still be in high demand.
Cleary posted a .358 batting average in 2026 while walking as much as he struck out. He doesn't possess a ton of power (he only hit five home runs), but LSU needs guys who can deliver consistent quality at-bats. Johnson said that moving forward, LSU will look to develop power in-house while turning to the portal for consistent, professional hitters. Cleary fits that profile.
LSU Baseball | Potential Transfer Portal Target
Ben Cleary Profile
| Position: IF | Class: Junior | B/T: R/R | Ht/Wt: 6-0, 200 |
| Hometown: Half Moon Bay, Calif. | High School: Junipero Serra HS |
| Season | AVG | GP | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SLG | OBP | BB | SO | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | .264 | 51 | 174 | 29 | 46 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 17 | .322 | .360 | 20 | 26 | 4 |
| 2025 | .302 | 49 | 182 | 37 | 55 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 16 | .401 | .406 | 26 | 15 | 5 |
| 2026 | .358 | 49 | 176 | 39 | 63 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 30 | .500 | .452 | 24 | 24 | 8 |
| Career | .308 | 149 | 532 | 105 | 164 | 30 | 1 | 7 | 63 | .408 | .406 | 70 | 65 | 17 |
LSU has a hole to fill at shortstop, with Steven Milam likely turning pro. Cleary would be a strong candidate to fill that gap. He'd bring nearly 150 games of collegiate experience to Baton Rouge after making 146 starts in three years at Santa Clara.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Santa Clara SS emerges as LSU baseball transfer portal fit
Continue reading...
