LSU baseball needs contact hitters and a veteran presence in the outfield. Coach Jay Johnson found someone who can handle both roles when it was announced on Wednesday that First Team All-ACC selection Bino Watters committed to the Tigers.
Watters entered the transfer portal after a sensational sophomore season at Notre Dame. He hit .362 with 10 home runs and 51 RBIs in 53 games for the Irish in 2026. A total of 19 home runs in two seasons, and the power numbers have a chance to go up as he fills into his six-foot-two frame.
Watters can also make contact. He struck out 37 times in 253 plate appearances and has struck out just 63 times in two full seasons in South Bend.
“He’s not a big swing and miss guy; he does tend to expand the zone a bit,” Bradley Smart said. Smart covers ACC Baseball for D1 Baseball.
“He does not take a lot of walks (27 walks in 2026), but I think the one thing that will unlock that next level is finding that right approach between bat-to-ball and pitches you can do damage on,” Smart said.
The Michigan native is also a left-handed hitter, which Johnson loves. Watters also led Notre Dame in doubles. Johnson is a big proponent of hitters who can get extra-base hits that are just not home runs.
“You're basically adding an impact bat that you can slot in the middle of the order and expect a lot of run production out of,” Smart said.
Watters is a potential first-round pick in the 2027 draft.
It was a tough recruiting battle between LSU and Texas. On Tuesday, Watters was reportedly leaning towards signing with the Longhorns.
Johnson and the Tigers got a chance to see Watters in person in February at the Live Like Lou Jax Baseball Classic in Jacksonville. LSU played Notre Dame on February 21, and Watters went 1-for-5 on the day.
This past season, Watters posted four-hit performances against Pittsburgh and Western Michigan and three-hit contests against the likes of Florida State and North Carolina.
Watters started mostly in left field in 2016. LSU needs outfielders with Chris Stanfield out of eligibility, and Derek Curiel and Jake Brown are likely to sign professionally after next month’s Major League Baseball draft.
Daniel Harden is transferring out, so that leaves just William Patrick, Mason Braun, and Eddie Yamin as potential options among returning players at a corner outfield spot.
LSU has now added three players from the transfer portal. Watters is ranked as the best player in the transfer portal according to Baseball America. Number two on BA’s list is right-handed pitcher Landon Hood from Gonzaga, who has already committed to LSU.
The Tigers have also added Texas State infielder Dawson Park, who has a good glove and pop in his bat as he hit 13 home runs for the Bobcats.
