LSU Signee and Left-Handed Pitcher Withdraws From MLB Draft

LSU has had its first high school signee officially withdraw from the 2026 MLB Draft and announce his enrollment at the school.

Braxton Beaty is a left-handed pitcher from Angleton, Texas. His fastball ranges between 90-93 miles per hour, and he also mixes in a slider whose speed ranges from 77-79 and a changeup that goes from 81-83.

Perfect Game ranks him as LSU's third-best LHP in the 2026 class, and has him at No. 222 on its draft board. The baseball development giant calls him a "super consistent performer with quality pitchability."

Why Beaty making it to campus matters

LSU pitcher Danny Lachenmayer pitches in a 2026 game | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Some of LSU's top needs coming into this offseason was pitching. The Tigers have added two right-handers in the transfer portal—Landon Hood of Gonzaga and Diego Velazquez of USC—and now get their first southpaw to enroll.

Beaty's Perfect Game grade is a 10, a rank that the site designates for players who are "Potential very high draft pick and/or Elite level college prospect."

He has the potential to grow into a weekend starter for the Tigers, as he is guaranteed three years of college, since he won't be 21 until the draft following his junior year in 2029.

His future longevity with the program is part of what makes his enrollment so key. Pitching coach Nate Yeskie will have three years to turn him from a top high school pitcher to a top collegiate arm.

Beaty's current pitching motion is going to lend him favors as he grows into his frame after a couple of years of Cajun food and workouts with LSU baseball's top-of-the-line strength and conditioning coach, Chris Martin.

His delivery is compact, which will help him keep runners from stealing bases against him. Beaty pitches well to hitters on either side of the plate, making him a versatile arm who can go for long innings as opposed to just being a matchup guy.

Pace is an important part of any pitcher's game, and Beaty does it well. He works quickly and keeps hitters guessing, so it's more difficult for them to get out in front of him and barrel balls up.

Offspeed pitches are going to be key for Beaty. If he can mix pitches in at-bats like current starter Cooper Moore, he can become as good as he was before having his 2026 season cut short.

His slider and changeup both cause much swing-and-miss and have a tendency to keep batters off balance and uncomfortable.

With the MLB Draft not beginning until July 11, there are still a few weeks for many signees to announce that they will be coming to campus. LSU is going to have a lot of freshmen on its 2027 roster.

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