LSU’s draft: Unprecedented 1-2 punch sets tone for Tigers

Published 7:00 am Tuesday, July 11, 2023

A day after LSU pulled off the unprecedented stunt of providing the Major League draft with its first and second overall picks — with two others from the national championship team selected in the first two rounds — the big leagues on Day 2 still found some more prospects among the Tigers.

They aren’t likely to become instant millionaires like No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes (Pirates, estimated slot signing bonus: $9.72 million) or No. 2 Dylan Crews (Nationals, $9 million).

But two of the more popular Tigers got the call on the draft’s second day when first baseman Tre’ Morgan was taken by the Tampa Bay Rays in the third round and second baseman Gavin Dugas went in the sixth round to the Nationals.

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They joined two others from the first day — right-handers Ty Floyd, who was the No. 38 overall pick in the competitive balance round to the Reds, and Grant Taylor who went in the second round, No. 51 overall.

Taylor did not pitch last year while recovering from offseason surgery.

It was only the third time LSU has had two players taken in the first round — let alone the first two — last done in 2001 by Mike Fontenot and Todd Linden. Previously Todd Walker and Russ Johnson were both first-rounders in 1994.

No other school has pulled that daily double, even though this year’s draft was considered one of the strongest and deepest in years.

Another high pick of note for the Tigers was catcher Blake Mitchell of Sinton (Texas) High School, who was committed to play for LSU next year.

But after going as the eighth overall pick Sunday to the Royals (estimated bonus: $5.98 million), Mitchell, whose father Kevin starred for McNeese in the early 2000s, isn’t likely to be coming to Louisiana.

At the top of the draft, all it really came down to was if the Pirates wanted college baseball’s best pitcher, D1 Baseball National Player of the Year Skenes, or the best offensive player, the Golden Spikes winner in Crews.

“It was a difficult choice to be sure, not because of the pitcher vs. position player,” the Pirates general manager, Ben Cherington said in a Sunday night press conference. “But because all of the guys we considered at the top were really good players and really good people. We believe Paul is the right choice for us — it’s that combination of what he’s capable of doing on the field and what he still wants to do better despite the year he’s had.

“We wanted the player we thought could help the Pirates win the most games over time.”

Most analysts project Skenes getting to the Majors sooner than later.

The Nationals feel the same way about Crews, a player they’ve been following since high school.

“He’s been a consistent player throughout his career. He’s got great character and he’s very competitive. I think he’s going to be a guy that’s going to fit right in and be one of the leaders of the core group of guys.”

The draft continues with the final 10 rounds on Tuesday.

Meanwhile on Monday, head coach Jay Johnson Terry Rooney as LSU’s new director of recruiting and program development.

Rooney, who spent the last two years at Purde, was a pitching coach on Paul Mainieri’s LSU staff.