Former LSU Baseball Players on MLB Rosters for Opening Day
Opening Day is one of those time honored traditions in sports that is treated as a holiday for baseball fans across the country. For Paul Mainieri and the LSU baseball program, it's a first opportunity to see how many of their former players are on MLB rosters across the league.
With games starting Thursday afternoon, the Tigers will have a total of 10 players on MLB rosters from infielders like Alex Bregman to starting pitchers like Aaron Nola. Here are the eight LSU players on active MLB opening day rosters:
DJ LeMahieu (Yankees)-2nd base
Alex Bregman (Astros)- 3rd base
Aaron Nola (Phillies)-Pitcher
Kevin Gausman (Giants)-Pitcher
JaCoby Jones (Tigers)-Outfielder
Andrew Stevenson (Nationals)-Outfielder
Jake Fraley (Mariners)-Outfielder
Riley Smith (Diamondbacks)-Pitcher
Will Harris (Nationals) Pitcher, injured
Austin Nola (Padres)- Catcher, injured
Nola and Gausman will not only be starting pitchers for their respective teams this season but will draw the opening day nod on the mound as well. Nola will face the Atlanta Braves while Gausman will go against the Seattle Mariners.
As for some of the premium talent in all of the MLB, DJ LeMahieu was a frontrunner for the AL MVP award last season and returns to the Yankees as one of the league's best hitters and second basemen. A three time Golden Glove award winner and two time Silver Slugger winner, LeMahieu is among the most decorated former Tigers to make it to the big leagues.
Bregman is among the best third basemen in the MLB and hopes to lead the Astros to a fifth straight postseason appearance while Nola has emerged as one of the premier ace pitchers in the league, strating his seventh season with the Phillies.