How Likely Is Every Draft-Eligible LSU Baseball Player To Return?

The 2026 LSU baseball season was supposed to be a triumphant title defense. The reigning national champions returned their entire starting outfield, a top-10 MLB Draft prospect and one of the deepest rosters in the country.

Instead, the Tigers posted a 30-28 record, went 0-16 against teams that finished in the top half of the SEC and watched their season end in Hoover in the second round of the SEC Tournament.

For the first time in 15 years, LSU baseball will not be playing in June.

But now, the real work begins. With the MLB Draft arriving in July, Jay Johnson faces a mass exodus of talent that could reshape the program heading into 2027. So who is draft-eligible, how likely are they to return and what does that mean for the program's future?

Derek Curiel - MLB Bound

Jun 18, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; LSU Tigers left fielder Derek Curiel (6) points to the dugout after hitting a double against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

It was a miracle that Jay Johnson pulled Derek Curiel out of the draft to come to LSU. But after withdrawing from the 2024 MLB Draft as a high school senior and projected first-rounder, it's hard to imagine Curiel doing it again.

The draft hype started well before his sophomore year did, as he entered the 2026 season ranked the No. 4 overall prospect on Baseball America’s draft board after his freshman campaign. If you watched him as a freshman, you couldn't believe he was in his first season. He hit .345 with 20 doubles, seven home runs and boasted a .990 OPS on a national championship team.

Curiel led LSU in batting average as a sophomore (.345). But his scouting report has always included elite plate discipline and bat-to-ball ability. That was only proven this season.

He won a national championship as a freshman, put together back-to-back elite seasons, and is now 21 years old and a draft-eligible sophomore. The math on returning for a junior season simply doesn’t work when top-10 slot values are as high as they are.

Jake Brown - There's a Real Case for Staying

Jake Brown's junior campaign was clearly his breakout season. He hit 16 home runs and posted a .303 average before it all came to a screeching halt around the halfway mark of the season.

The hamate bone injury is not a long one to recover from, so despite it, he is still projected to land in the second round of the draft.

He's not guaranteed to leave because there is a compelling case to be made for returning. That case is that Brown is a Louisiana native, he missed significant time due to an injury - not bad performance - and a healthy senior season could move him significantly up draft boards.

Despite that case, turning down the second round of the MLB Draft is hard.

Deven Sheerin - Low Chance

Deven Sheerin cracks ESPN’s top-90 draft prospects because of his premium fastball velocity and funky delivery. After a season as one of LSU's best options out of the bullpen.

He has the tools to hear his name called in the first several rounds come July.

Steven Milam - A Toss Up

No player on this list represents a bigger decision for LSU’s 2027 returning class than Steven Milam.

The switch-hitting shortstop has been the program’s starting shortstop since day one and is arguably the best defensive infielder in LSU history. He made just two errors in 193 chances this season and ranked third among all college shortstops nationally in defensive runs saved.

Offensively, Milam finished strong. He hit .308 with a .949 OPS in SEC play, and his .288 full-season average included an 11-homer season.

Milam is not a first-rounder. Actually, he's not even projected in the top-150. He will likely land after round two, so returning for a senior season could theoretically boost his stock.

His main concern is his offense, that his bat isn't MLB-Draft ready. But the defense is.

That narrative is a bit dramatic, however, as he boasts a career batting average sitting just north of .300.

Johnson’s tone in recent weeks has sounded like a coach already preparing to find a new shortstop despite offering Milam his No. 2 jersey next season. But that is telling.

With a strong finish to the year and the reality that a senior season at LSU could make him a first-round name and a two-time national champion, Milam’s decision is genuinely close.

A Host of Relief Pitchers - Depending On What Round

Tigers Pitcher Gavin Guidry — Tigers starting Pitcher Gavin Guidry 8, Louisianas Ragin Cajuns Baseball beats the LSU Tigers 7-2 at M.L. Tigue Moore Field in Lafayette, LA. Wednesday, March 4, 2026. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Santiago Garcia will likely be gone if he's drafted in the first 10 rounds. Garcia came to LSU as one of the top transfers and brought a quality breaking ball and above-average velocity from the left side.

The problem was the command. That caused his season to be inconsistent, but the stuff gives him a real professional profile. Left-handed pitchers with his arsenal tend to find a home in the middle rounds.

Gavin Guidry came back from a back injury that prevented him from pitching in 2025. But he improved his fastball velocity in 2026 and showcased his deep arsenal of pitches.

His issue for going this season was that his ERA wasn’t clean, but scouts project that his pure stuff translates to professional baseball. As a redshirt junior with a disappointing comeback season, he sits in the middle of the range: draftable, but not a lock to sign if the round number doesn’t feel right.

Mavrick Rizy is basing his decision off of if he hears his name. At 6-foot-9 with premium velocity, he has the intangibles that teams fall in love with. His 2026 performances were rough, but with raw tools at that size, he is exactly what organizations covet in the late rounds.

He is draft-eligible as a sophomore, which means if he goes undrafted or falls far enough, returning becomes a real option.

Cooper Moore has already confirmed he's coming back to LSU after missing half of his first season in Baton Rouge. Moore was LSU’s Saturday night starter heading into 2026. Instead, an injury cut his season to just three SEC appearances before season-ending surgery.

The decision makes sense on both ends. A season-ending surgery and road to recovery give MLB teams legitimate medical concerns that will suppress his draft value.

Danny Lachenmayer has already publicly stated he will be back in 2027. The left-handed reliever gives Johnson at least one confirmed returning high-leverage bullpen arm to build around.

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