LSU Baseball: Slugger Jared Jones Returning to Tigers for 2025 Season

Jones announces his decision to return to Baton Rouge for his third year, provides tremendous power at the plate.

May 25, 2024; Hoover, AL, USA; LSU Tigers infielder Jared Jones (22) jogs the bases after a solo hom run against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports / Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

LSU slugger Jared Jones will return to Baton Rouge for his junior campaign after testing the 2024 MLB Draft waters. Jones announced his decision via social media on Tuesday.

The dominant power hitter shined at the plate during his first two seasons with Jay Johnson and the Tigers with the chance to take his game to the next level in year three.

Jones, a draft-eligible sophomore, was a player who had MLB scouts' attention during the Combine last month after putting on a show.

He consistently crushed the ball and had the highest exit velocity of any hitter in attendance. His hardest hit ball had an exit velocity of 113mph.

After presumably working his way up to a higher slot for the MLB Draft, Jones slipped to Day 3 where he ultimately made the decision to return to Baton Rouge.

LSU head coach Jay Johnson spoke of Jones and the other draft-eligible sophomores following the 2024 season:

“They were incredibly positive and that’s why they all have an open door here,” Johnson said. “It’s not rocket science. Draft-eligible sophomores, Herring and Jones, I’m not sure how they’re viewed. I don’t spend a lot of time looking at that stuff. I know their value to LSU baseball and their value to me, and the value they could create for themselves next year is really high. They have a platform here to do that. In both of their cases, if they were to return for a third year, they could leave as two of the best players to play here.”

Jones ended his sophomore campaign with a team-high 28 home runs and a batting average of .301 after proving his incredible power at the plate.

Jay Johnson and Co. walk away from the MLB Draft with critical pieces remaining with #LSU.

Returnees:
1B Jared Jones (28 HRs + .301 BA)
SS Michael Braswell

Signees:
William Schmidt: No. 1 RHP
Cade Arrambide: No. 1 catcher
Derek Curiel: No. 10 prospect

The Tigers are loaded. pic.twitter.com/AdQRtOWR7Y

— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) July 16, 2024

In year three, it'll be all about plate discipline and becoming more consistent in his approach.

LSU will now return Michael Braswell and Jones while adding a trio of Top 15 high school prospects after all five formally withdrew from the draft.

The Star-Studded Players:

Michael Braswell: Shortstop

Braswell's return gives the Tigers their shortstop for next season with Johnson and Co. locking in their infield for what many expect to be a big-time spring.

The growth in Braswell's game in 2024 was evident. He became disciplined at the plate and came through in crucial moments towards the backend of the season.

He ended the season with a .311 batting average along with 12 doubles, three triples and 36 RBIs in 212 at-bats.

Braswell's development came up in postseason play after smacking a critical walk-off during the SEC Tournament.

“It was really about hitting development,” Braswell said during the 2024 season. “Coach Johnson told me ‘we think you have the base pieces to be a really good hitter and with our development we can take you to the next level.’ I put my trust in him to get me better and it’s worked so far.”

Braswell made the move to Baton Rouge after two seasons with the South Carolina Gamecocks. After batting below .290 in his pair of seasons in Columbia, he hit his stride once with the Tigers after impressive improvement.

“It means the world to me to have the best coach in the country have that much trust and that much confidence in you,” Braswell said during the season. “I’ve worked tirelessly with the coaching staff to make sure the improvements are where they need to be and it started to come to fruition during the fall. Obviously I still have a ways to go, but I’d say it’s been a great process.”

Cade Arrambide: No. 1 Catcher in America

With Arrambide on board, the Tigers will have three of the top 15 players in the 2024 recruiting class on campus for the 2025 season with Arrambide joining William Schmidt and Derek Curiel.

Arrambide logged a .430 batting average with 12 home runs in his senior campaign for Tomball High in Texas.

The impressive two-way player also won the Gatorade Player of the Year in the Lone Star State and is has history with his strong arm behind the plate.

Arrambide was also the No. 1 high school catcher and a top-120 player overall in MLB.com's draft rankings. After not being selected in either Rounds 1 or 2, he made the decision to pull his name out and will make his way to Baton Rouge.

William Schmidt: No. 1 Right-Handed Pitcher in America

The No. 1 righty in the 2024 high school class, Schmidt was a projected first round draft selection on Sunday night.

He was rated as the No. 5 overall prospect and the top-ranked prospect in Louisiana. A Baton Rouge native, Schmidt will now suit up for the hometown purple and gold.

He's fresh off of a state championship with the Catholic High Bears that came in as the No. 1 baseball program in the country, according to MaxPreps.

The buzz over the last few weeks was that Schmidt would skip out on college and begin his professional career right out of high school. Instead, the prized prospect will fulfill his LSU commitment and stay home.

Schmidt is the highest ranked recruit to ever make it to LSU's campus.

Here is what MLB.com said of Schmidt’s game:

“Schmidt can spin his curveball at upwards of 3,000 rpm, and it’s an low-80s hammer that breaks so much that it often fools umpires as well as hitters. He has good command of a fastball that has gained 3 mph this spring, now sitting in the mid-90s and maxing out at 99 mph with carry and arm-side run. He rarely has needed a third pitch but shows some feel for a low-80s changeup with some sink.

Not only does Schmidt have some of the best stuff in the Draft, but he also generates it with ease and fills the strike zone. He still has room to add more strength to his wiry 6-foot-4 frame, so he could get better. He used to elicit comparisons to three-time All-Star Adam Wainwright, but now he’s better at the same stage of his career.”

LSU has pieced together an impressive pitching arsenal for the 2025 season with several players set to battle it out fot weekend starter duties.

Johnson and Co. have done it again on the recruiting trail with Schmidt now headlining an impressive group of high schoolers preparing to head to Baton Rouge.

LSU will have a pair of Top 10 overall prospects in the 2024 class make it campus with coveted outfielder Derek Curiel joining Schmidt. They will be roommates once both arrive at LSU.

Derek Curiel: No. 10 Player in America

The LSU signee announced his decision to bypass the 2024 MLB Draft via social media and will now prepare to make his way to Baton Rouge where he is set to enroll early this summer.

Johnson and Co. have continued retooling the roster this offseason via the NCAA Transfer Portal, and with Curiel now in the mix, LSU brings in a pivotal piece to the 2024 high school class.

The No. 117 overall prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft, according to MLB.com, the Tigers are bringing in an immediate impact player for the 2025 season.

Here's what Curiel's Draft Profile says:

"Curiel's bat to ball skills are excellent and he rarely strikes out... While Curiel is now mostly an average runner, he does have outstanding instincts that will let him play center field for a long time.

"That with his knack for finding the barrel gives him a pretty decent floor as a big leaguer, and there are some who think he might go on to LSU and come out as a high floor college hitter."

The LSU outfield now adds another critical piece to the future after true freshmen Jake Brown and Ashton Larson earned starting duties towards the backend of the season.

Now, throwing Curiel and others in the mix, the Tigers attain significant depth in the outfield for the 2025 season.

Other LSU News:

No. 1 Pitcher in America, LSU Signee William Schmidt Bypassing 2024 MLB Draft

LSU Baseball Lands First-Round Talent via NCAA Transfer Portal

LSU Football Trending for Pair of Prized Defensive Backs

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Country: @LSUCountry_FN for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.