Top MLB Draft Prospect SHOCKS Everyone, Picks LSU

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Cards issued by JP Morgan Chase bank and a member FDIC subject to credit approval terms. Applying a massive decision for 2027 falls in LSU's favor. We'll tell you about it. Locked on LSU. Here we go.

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You are Locked on lsu, your daily podcast on the LSU Tigers, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team every day.

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Okay, let's get it. It is Locked on lsu, your team every day. I'm your host Matt Moscona. Jay Johnson and the baseball Tigers got some fantastic news on Monday when Nathaniel Davis announced he is withdrawing from the 2026 MLB Draft and he will in fact attend LSU. So this is going to have huge ramifications for the tigers in this 2020, for the 2027 roster and what it means for the remainder of this portal class as well. We're going to dive into all that. Also have an update on Marcos Pause that I'll get to for you here you in just a quick second. So let's start with Nathaniel Davis. If you've never heard the name, well that's because you're not an everydayer. Because I have been telling you about Davis here as we've talked about this portal cycle. But for those who who don't know, Nathaniel Davis is a 6 foot 180 pound outfielder from Orlando Elite. He's been committed to LSU since September of 2024. So Jay Johnson had an eye on him long ago. He's committed, has remained committed. Davis was one of those guys that was sort of projected as a 5050 whether or not he would end up on campus or he would sign a professional contract straight out of high school. But as we often talk about when you look at slot values for many of these guys, they have a number in their mind of what they would be willing to pass on college what they would be willing to accept to start their pro career. And Davis as we were talking about, was kind of around four to six guy. And so that wasn't going to be necessarily enough for him to justify passing on nil opportunities where you can make money over three years in college, which would certainly offset what you wouldn't make by, by passing on a major league contract. Then hopefully by the time you're draft eligible again, you'd make even more money if you performed well. Right? That's the whole concept. You can make maybe over three years in college what you're passing on in, in a potential signing bonus and then get paid a second time when you do get drafted. So let me kind of give you the thumbnail on Davis. I asked one friend who's a longtime major league scout for a comp and he said Kenny Lofton. Kenny Lofton. If you're my age or older, you'll remember Kenny Lofton who was great center fielder on those Indians teams that, you know, played in a couple of World series in the 1990s, some really good teams. But effectively this is a guy who projects as a future major league center fielder when we're talking about his defensive ability. So we really want to focus there. Okay? Davis is a guy with elite speed with great instincts. I was told there's nobody currently on this roster. Even if you include Waters and Walks, who they added via the portal, William Patrick, who's coming back. There's no one on this roster in the outfield that is that type of a twitchy athlete that Davis presents. And he is also a legit base stealing threat. Now Jay Johnson's teams don't run a lot, but Davis does give you that ability in your lineup. A base stealing threat. He's not a big home run guy. He's going to be more of a doubles gap hitter. His only power is to the pool side, but he is a lefty. So you have a left handed bat here, another left handed bat in your lineup. So think of it from this standpoint. If you were to look at him As a prospect, 6 foot, 180 pounds, he needs to add some strength. Like we always talk about, power is the last tool to come. And for some guys it doesn't come. You never become a power hitter. Maybe you're a plus defender and singles doubles hitter. Okay, that, that's fine if you're a plus defender and premium positions, which Davis, again, if he ends up playing center field, we're talking about premium positions that are right up the middle. Remember just, just think about like in football, center, nose tackle, middle, linebacker, safety. Those are the communication positions, right? Well same defensively in baseball. Catcher, middle, infield, center field. Those are your premium positions. So you're talking about a guy where if you're an elite defender at a premium position then you don't have to be a great offensive weapon. I just think about some of these examples we've given over time throughout the LA. Throughout, throughout even just look at the last 15 years at LSU. We can go back and look at Austin Nola as a freshman. When Paul Maneri inserted Nola in the lineup at shortstop, it's because he kicked lemayhue to second. He wanted to create more double plays. He wanted a better middle infield. Defensively I think about Michael Papierski who was a brick wall behind home plate but struggled offensively early in his career. And I became a very good hitter. But Pap early in his career was in there because he was a brick wall. Mean Alex Lang could spike a, a 57 foot breaking ball and it was never going to the backstop because Pap was a brick wall behind home plate. And so you'd sacrifice the bat because you knew you had a plus defender at a premium position. Andrew Stevenson. Andrew Stevenson as a freshman hit 180 but it was like having two outfielders in one because he covered so much ground in center. So you think of Davis, whatever he might be able to give you offensively early in his career is just Lanyat because he's that great of a defender. I asked a couple of scouts about how Davis as a freshman would compare to Derek Curiel. Now Curiel has elite bat to ball skills. I mean he got on base every game as a freshman. You know, he never struck out. He was incredible. But the way that it was so was that Davis is actually a better defender than Curiel, a better runner than Curiel and they have a similar, similar arm talent. And the way one, one scout phrased it to me is on balls that Curiel might have to dive for. Davis would catch standing up. So. And we all know, look, Derek Curiel is going to be a top 15 pick of the draft. So, so that's what we're talking. So just for context, that's only to illustrate how elite of a defender Nathaniel Davis is. So when you think about what Jay Johnson has already put together in the outfield, remember you're losing all three starters with Chris Stanfield out of eligibility. Both Koreal and Jake Brown likely to sign multiple seven figure contracts in the draft next month, you got to replace all your outfielders. So they went and signed Bino Waters from Notre Dame who according to some of the outlets have him as the number one position player in this portal. You added Jason walks from Tulane, two year starter at Tulane from the state of Florida's 350 hitter over two seasons. 330 hit over two seasons. It's been outstanding. So that's two outfield spots. Well now, and if you're an everyday or you've heard us say this because Davis is the one we were watching you return William Patrick who started in the outfield and right field at the end of the season last year after Jake Brown broke his handmade bone. So you have Patrick who is was the best athlete on the team last year. So you've got Patrick and Davis who likely early in the season, platoon in that third outfield spot and see if someone ultimately takes a hold of it and wins that job. So that's probably where you are right now as far as your starting outfield for next year. When you look at the at what you have offensively through the lineup, remember I told you Davis is a plus defender. You take what you can get offensively. Remember you've got Kate, Aaron Bey and Omar Cerna and Mason Braun and Stephen Milam all returning and you've added guys like we just mentioned, Beno Waters and Jason Walks and Cade Curlin and Dawson Park. So all those guys have proven they can hit at the major college level. So if you end up playing Patrick or Davis, whichever, even if they don't give you anything offensively, it shouldn't matter as long as they are plus defenders. I can't even think back to the 25 championship team with Michael Braswell. Braswell was sub 200. It was so frustrating, I know for Braswell and for everyone to watch because he had been a really good hitter but it just didn't work for him in 25. The bat just never showed up. But he was such a great defender at third and you hit through the lineup with Bear Jones and Ethan Fry and Stephen Milam and Derek Curiel like you could, you could have what some refer to as a do a designated out in the lineup because he was so good defensively. So that's kind of what you're looking at here with Patrick or Davis. Whatever they give you offensively should be lanyap because you have so many hitters, proven hitters up and down your lineup. Now that doesn't mean LSU is done in the portal. There's still two guys we've been talking about with Alec Blair and Angel Leia still out there uncommitted. Where do things stands with stand with them. And an update on Marcos Pause. We're going to get to that as we continue here. It's locked on lsu, your team Every day. The biggest stage in world soccer is here, and every match feels like it has the potential for a memorable moment. One goal can completely change the energy of a game, shift momentum. It can alter the outcome in an instant. And that's what makes tournament soccer so exciting. From the opening whistle to the final kick. And now FanDuel is giving fans another reason to stay locked into every match with every goal pays, bet on a match and get bonus bets for every goal scored in that match. More goals mean more bonus bets. All you have to do is turn on your token. The United States, of course, has already advanced. The knockout stage is that part of the bracket is set set. 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So I mentioned there were two more prospects that LSU is targeting or has been targeting in the transfer portal, Alec Blair and Angel Leia. So Blair is an interesting one who we talked about a week ago. He spent his freshman season this year at Oklahoma where they just won the national championship. But remember LSU finished second in his high school recruiting. So Blair picked Oklahoma over LSU a year ago when he signed with the Sooners. He played in about 30 games this year for Oklahoma, starting a little more than 20. I believe 26 starts this year for the Sooners. But it was Todd Butler, the heavy ties to Louisiana, who's the recruiting coordinator and and a hitting coach at Oklahoma who was the one that got Blair to Norman. Well, Todd Butler last week after Oklahoma won the national championship took an assistant coaching job on Kevin o' Sullivan staff at Florida. So as soon as Todd Butler leaves, Alec Blair goes in the portal. And naturally when an athlete like that, he was also a two sport guy. I mean he, he had like basketball offers from UCLA to play collegiate basketball in addition to baseball. So I mean like legit elite freak athlete. But Blair, it was immediately thought like he's going to go to Florida, he's going to follow Todd Butler to Florida. LSU through their hat in the ring. Naturally they already had a relationship there, but as I'm told right now it's A and M, Florida and Ole Miss. Ole Miss has kind of gotten in late. Florida would still seemingly have the lead, but A and M is in the mix and Ole Miss threw their hat in the ring late. So LSU, it seems like is out of the running for Alec Blair. Now Angel Leia is the other one is 300 hitter at Oregon this past year as a freshman. Freshman all conference. LSU is in it but it feels like, it feels doubtful. I'm told Georgia is really pushing heavy right now for Leia. And I think what's important to remember is, you know, LSU has already thrown so many resources behind the two guys that they landed with Bino Waters and Jason Wachs. And then you've got Patrick returning and then you just got the great news about Nathaniel Davis showing up on campus. Yes, you certainly could add another proven bat proven outfield defender with one of these guys. But I just kind of ran through the, the lineup and how it stacks right now. And again you have two great defensive options in Patrick and Davis for that third outfield spot that if they hit, it's Lanya, but you're not necessarily looking for that. So it feels like right now where LSU stands is they're kind of keeping an eye on the other pitchers in the portal that they've been targeting. The two that we've talked about are Thomas Allen, the righty from Louisiana Tech. Although it feels like LSU is maybe running a little distant in that race. Arkansas, Mississippi State feel like maybe they've taken the lead for, for, for Allen. And then the other is Shane Brenham. He was, he's the lefty who spent his freshman year at the University of Michigan this year and LSU was supposed to host him on a visit this past week. So we're waiting on a decision on Brenham. And that would be another lefty, a proven lefty that you'd be able to add to the bullpen for 2027 and a likely competitor for, for a starting job in 2028 as he is not a draft eligible sophomore. So he just finished his freshman year. Wherever he goes, he'll have two years remaining. So those are the guys worth keeping an eye on. The other note here is about Marcos Pause. So we did an episode on Friday when Marco's paws entered the portal. I would highly recommend if you missed it, you go back and check that out. Initially what we were told is that it was A M. And listen, this is, I, I know sometimes we have these conversations about guys going to the portal and people throw out tampering and stuff like that. This is the way there is no judgment. This is the way things are done now where players have agents and agents are doing their best to seek out the best deal and opportunity for their client. And while it's illegal for a school to have direct contact with a player before they go in the portal, there is nothing that precludes third party representatives, agents, whoever, from having those conversations. I mean, think about, let Me. Remove yourself from baseball for a second. Let's talk about football. Think about, like all throughout the month of December, how many players announce their intention to go in the portal before the portal opens? Well, what are they doing by announcing their intention to go in the portal? They're basically sending and all of them have in their bio, business inquiries, contact their agency, whatever. They're basically saying, if you're interested, contact my agent and work, work out a deal. So as soon as you go in the portal, boom, you've got visits set up. Maybe you have a deal done. Who knows? So, Marcos pause. You know, the portal opens June 1. It closes June 30. Marcus Paz goes in the portal June 26, 26 days pass and pause, head and left. And then all of a sudden, boom, with four days left, he goes in the portal. Well, A and M was the team. So A and M was the team targeting. But as soon as a player puts their name in the portal, well, now maybe a school that. That didn't know you were even available, they can, they can contact you legally now. And so as I'm told, Texas has gotten in the mix for Marcos Paws and Georgia has tried to push a little bit as well. A and M still feels like it's the front runner. Paz is a Texas native, remember, so, but it seems like this will be a Texas A and M. Texas A M was the target, the targeted landing spot. Texas has gotten in the mix, so we'll see what falls that way. George is trying to get in the mix for pause, but we'll see where either way, it sounds like it's going to be an SEC school and, and that's disappointing. But at the same time for lsu, I can understand. You know, Jay Johnson loved Marcus Paz. He said he's a future weekend rotation guy and he got four SEC starts at the end of the season due to some of those injuries. Now, he had one really solid outing against South Carolina where he went five innings pitched, but that was about the extent of it for Paz, who had a 9 ERA in his freshman season. So if he develops, it'll be somewhere else. Not. Not in Baton Rouge, but it looks like Texas A and M. Unless if Texas can prime away Georgia kind of a distant third there, but was in Omaha this year. So we'll see if they might be able to make up some ground as that develops. We'll talk about it right here on Locked on lsu. So do me a favor. If you're listening on podcast, please subscribe on your favorite podcast app Radis. Leave a review. If you're on YouTube, smash that like button, subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you're notified whenever we post a new video and let a friend know if they love the Tigers. We got you every single day for Locked on lsu. It's your team every day.

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I've got ideas.

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Thank you for making Locked on your first listen every day. For your second listen, find the Locked on SEC podcast host Chris Gordy blends the local coverage you love with a conference wide view of where your favorite team stands. Find Locked on SEC on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. Part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day.

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