With MLB Draft Set For Wednesday, Here's a Look at LSU Baseball Players and Commits That Could Be Selected
The MLB draft is now just over 24 hours away and for LSU baseball, a number of prominent figures from the 2020 team as well as a few commits have some big decisions to make in the coming days.
Paul Mainieri and company received a bit of positive news last week when one of the top prospects of the signing class, outfielder Dylan Crews, announced that he'd be pulling his name from the draft and heading to Baton Rouge.
“It’s been a dream of mine to get on campus and play for a great program in front of the best fans in the country,” Crews wrote in a social media post. “I look forward to revisiting the draft process in 2023. I’d like to thank God, all the scouts throughout the years, all the coaches that have helped me get here throughout the years and most importantly my family for all of the support. Can’t wait to be a Tiger and compete for a national championship.“
While Crews coming aboard was a big win for Mainieri and the program, there are a few players to keep an eye on as Wednesday's draft looms closer. Starting with the players from the shortened 2020 team, the two major threats of leaving for the MLB ranks are outfielder Daniel Cabrera and pitcher Cole Henry.
Both are highly ranked on MLB.com prospect big board, Cabrera coming in at No. 38 overall while Henry isn't too far behind as the No. 45 ranked prospect. Cabrera and Henry were both on pace for phenomenal campaigns last year before the season was cut short.
In four appearances as a sophomore, Henry carried a 1.89 ERA in 19 innings pitched, striking out 23 batters and walking six as the Tigers' ace pitcher. Cabrera, the team's starting right fielder, caught fire over the last 10 games of the season, batting .345 with two homeruns and 12 RBI in 58 at bats.
Both have been working out in the offseason, preparing for a potential return to Baton Rouge or moving on to the next level if they secure the signing bonus they're looking for.
It'll be interesting to see where the duo falls with the shortened five round draft but if they go within the first three rounds it'll be tough for LSU to keep them around, particularly Cabrera who's already 21 years old.
Devin Fontenot, AJ Labas, Saul Garza and Zack Mathis are also candidates that could go in the later rounds.
There are a few prospects at the high school level that have committed to LSU that will be interesting to watch as well. A few names to keep an eye on will be catcher Drew Romo, who is ranked No. 35 on MLB's draft board, pitcher Ty Floyd ranked No. 141, shortstop Jordan Thompson and Barbe outfielder Brody Drost.
Romo is receiving serious first round buzz and doesn't seem likely to fall out of the second round but Floyd, Thompson and Drost are three prospects that might fall in the fourth or fifth round range, it they're drafted at all.
As part of the shortened draft, the MLB has put a limit on signing bonuses of $20,000 if an undrafted player is signed, which doesn’t make it very appetizing for top recruits or players on the current roster.
It all comes back to the signing bonus for those younger players. Mainieri said last week in an interview on “After Further Review” that it’s a bit premature to guess on what will happen with this specific draft.
“I think we’re going to see some things we haven’t seen in past years as far as guys returning to the team,” Mainieri said. “You just never know what’s going to happen with the draft next week and what’s going on behind the scenes.
“It’s been a difficult time but it becomes exciting when you think about the potential in 2021. We’ll wait and see what happens on Wednesday and Thursday and have a better indication of what our roster will look like next year.”