Five LSU pitchers were selected on the second and final day of the Major League Baseball Draft, but the biggest news for LSU may have been who wasn’tdrafted.
Six of the Tigers' high school signees ranked in Perfect Game's Top 100 are now widely expected to arrive in Baton Rouge this fall, giving Jay Johnson another talent-rich recruiting class.
The headliner of the group is outfielder Malachi Washington, who is ranked No. 28 in Perfect Game's Top 100.
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Washington in the 18th round, but the Georgia native says he’s coming to LSU.
Washington, a 6-foot-1, 203-pound outfielder from Georgia, possesses impressive bat speed and exit velocity, along with above-average arm strength and speed. Scouts believe he'll need to improve his approach against breaking pitches, but his overall athleticism gives him tremendous upside.
LSU could have one of the deepest outfields in the country, featuring transfers Bino Watters (Notre Dame), Angel Laya (Oregon) and Jason Wachs (Tulane), returning sophomore William Patrick and incoming freshmen Malachi Washington, Nate Davis and Dominic Santarelli.
Davis, another Top 100 prospect, withdrew from the MLB Draft before it began and has already announced he will enroll at LSU.
Another potential impact addition is Dominic Santarelli, who is likely headed to LSU despite being selected in the 18th round by the Seattle Mariners.
At 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, he already has the build of a major leaguer.
According to MLB.com, he’s one of the best power hitters in this 2026 high school class. The 2026 Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year has the ceiling of a more athletic version of Kyle Schwarber.
Santarelli can hit tape-measure shots to all fields, but he’s also a streaky hitter who can lapse into strikeouts.
Another Top 100 signee expected to reach campus is shortstop Parker Loew, who is ranked No. 97 in Perfect Game's Top 100. The 6-foot, 175-pound infielder is regarded as an athletic defender with plenty of strength and upside.
Two very good high school arms are also coming to LSU. Left-hander Lucas Nawrocki of Aledo, Texas, took his name out of the draft the night before it started.
He’s 5-foot-11, nearly 200 pounds and is known as a strike thrower with a fastball from the mid-90s.
Also heading to LSU is 6-foot-5 right-hander Cooper Sides from Orange Lutheran, California. Sides was a two-sport star at Red Bluff High School and according to MLB.com, he has a four-pitch mix with a fastball that sits at 92- 95 mph.
Another intriguing arm is 6-foot-3 right-hander Kolby Stringer, who choseLSU over Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Stringer is westfrom West Marion High School in Mississippi and had the second most strikeouts for a high school pitcher in the nation.In his senior season, he went 12-0 with 0.38 ERA, with 118 strikeouts in 74 innings.
LSU signed 22 high school prospects, and although nine were drafted, the majority are still expected to honor their commitments.
Depending on who shows up, LSU has about 40 players.
The NCAA roster limit is 34 players, but teams are allowed to have players designated as "Designated Student-Athletes," who do not count against that limit.It’sbelieved that last year’s freshmenclass received the “DSA” designation, so there is a good chance LSUwill not have to tell playerthat there is not a spot for them on this roster.
LSU had 38 players on its roster last season, so some roster trimming could be coming.
Despite the expected roster crunch, LSU appears well positioned for another run with a roster loaded with veteran transfers and one of the nation's top freshman classes.
Here are the five pitchers selected from the 2026 team on Sunday.
- RHP Grant Fontenot, 10th Round to the Kansas City Royals
- LHP Santiago Garcia, 12th Round to the Toronto Blue Jays
- RHP Connor Benge, 13th Round to the Miami Marlins
- RHP Gavin Guidry, 16th Round to the New York Mets
- RHP Zac Cowan, 19th Round to the Cleveland Guardians
While LSU lost another group of pitchers to professional baseball, the draft appears to have worked in the Tigers' favor. With much of their highly regarded recruiting class expected to arrive on campus, LSU enters the offseason positioned to reload once again under Jay Johnson.
