After capturing the 2023 National Championship, the process of building a 2024 title contender is fully underway in Baton Rouge.
While LSU head coach Jay Johnson and staff will be celebrating the selections of reigning Golden Spikes Award Winner Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes, in what is projected to be the top three overall picks along with several other current Tigers, the real question is what 2023 LSU signees will be picked high enough to forgo their chances to help the Tigers try and repeat in 2024.
The 2023 MLB Draft is set for this Sunday, July 9th beginning at 6 p.m. on MLB Network.
First a quick review of the 2023 signing class:
LHP, Kade Adnerson, 6-2, 175, Covington, LA
LHP, Jake Brown, 6-2, 180, Sulphur, LA
OF, Griffin Cooley, 6-1, 180 Kinder, LA
OF, Dallas Dale II, 6-1, 180, Apoka, FL
LHP, Cameron Johnson, 6-5, 245, IMG Academy
SS, Ryan Kucherak,, 6-1, 168, Chandler, AZ
IF/RHP, Trenton Lape, 6-1, 175, Bossier City, LA
OF, Ashton Larson, 6-1, 193, Overland Park, KS
SS, Steven Milam, 5-8, 165, Las Cruces, NM
C, Blake Mitchell, 6-2, 220, Sinton, TX
OF, Derrick Mitchell, 6-3, 200, Plano, TX
SS, Austin Roellig, 5-11, 170, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
SS/RHP, MJ Seo, 5-11, 175, Plano, TX
SS, Dylan Thompson, 6-2, 175, Moss Bluff, LA
A highly decorated class that features three different Gatorade Players of the Year in Brown (Louisiana), Milam (New Mexico) and Blake Mitchell (Texas), the 2023 class, if it remains in-tact, fills a lot of holes for Jay Johnson and staff heading into the 2024 campaign.
Of course, we all know the 2023 class is not going to remain in-tact, the goal is to get a majority of the current signees on campus. In large part, I believe LSU will do just that as long as the MLB teams don’t get stupid crazy and offer an 18th-round pick second round money (which is called overslotting).
Taking all of that into account, there are four names to keep an eye on amongst the 2023 signees and I’ll characterize them in two different categories in my opinion.
The DEFINITELY GONE NO CHANCE TO MAKE IT TO CAMPUS kids are Blake Mitchell and Cameron Johnson. Mitchell is a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year out of Texas and is projected to possibly go in the top 10 overall picks, if not earlier. Mitchell batted .471 with six home runs, 41 RBI, 47 runs scored, 35 stolen bases. A five-tool catcher that is going to make a ton of money. I wish him nothing but the best of luck.
The other one on this list is Cameron Johnson. Left-handed pitchers who throw extremely hard are a hot commodity and the 6-5, 245-pound Johnson fits that bill.
The BITE YOUR FINGERNAILS IF THEY SHOW UP ITS REALLY GOOD NEWS kids are Milam and Ashton Larson. Milam, the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year out of New Mexico, had a phenomenal 2023 prep season, hitting .627 with seven home runs, 50 RBI and 65 runs scored. He led the state in slugging percentage (1.313), hits (52), runs (65), doubles (18) and triples (nine). He also tied for the state lead with 50 RBI and finished seventh in home runs.
According to MLB.com, Milam is ranked as the nation’s 105th-best overall prospect.
Should he arrive on campus, you are talking about a switching hitting infielder that could compete for playing time in the starting lineup immediately.
Larson is my other one. I just don’t know. If he arrives on campus it would be a fantastic get, but I simply don’t know.
Other than that, like I said, unless there is an MLB team out there that gets insanely stupid and offers a kid overslot money, I think the rest of the 2023 signing class really does arrive on campus.
We will find out soon enough.