2023 MLB Draft Wrap Up

A program-record 13 Tigers taken over the weekend

The 2023 MLB Draft is one for the LSU baseball history books.

LSU had 13 members from its 2023 national championship team selected over the past three days, including seven on Tuesday.

• Garrett Edwards was the first Tiger taken on Tuesday, going in the 11th round, 133rd overall, to Tampa. Edwards reportedly got “fifth round” money and will sign with the Rays
• Blake Money went after Edwards in the 12th round, 361 overall, to Baltimore.
• Riley Cooper was also picked by Baltimore and went about 100 picks after Money (13th round, 391st overall) and intends to sign with the Orioles.
• Sandwiched between Money and Cooper was Brayden Jobert going in the 12th round, 365th overall, to the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Jordan Thompson’s long wait came to an end in the 15th round, when the Los Angeles Dodgers selected him with the 460th pick. Thompson reportedly signed for 8th round money, so he’ll make far more than his slot value.
• Javen Coleman was also selected by the Dodgers. He was picked in the 16th round, 490th overall. Coleman has yet to announce his intentions, but I’m going to guess that he comes back to LSU.
• Christian Little was the last member of LSU’s squad to hear his name called. Little was picked by the Mets, going in the 19th round at pick No. 576.

LSU made history as the first school ever to have the first and second picks in the same draft with Paul Skenes going first to Pittsburgh, and Dylan Crews going second to Washington. They then made program history with 13 total selections. All in all not a bad weekend for our present Tigers.

But what about the future Tigers? Well keep your fingers crossed, but so far the draft has been pretty kind to LSU.

LSU’s top commit Blake Mitchell went 8th overall to Kansas City. That was expected. But some of LSU’s other top commits didn’t get picked nearly as highly as projected, making it far more likely they’ll make it to campus than anyone could have hoped.

Lefty power arm Cameron Johnson didn’t go until the 20th round of the draft. His asking price reportedly has been $3 million and so far teams either weren’t willing to meet that number, or Johnson has been standing firm by his amount. Johnson was a top-50 prospect heading into the draft.

Jake Brown, the state of Louisiana’s top prospect, stirred up a tizzy Tuesday. On Monday Brown tweeted two Tiger emojis which seemed to indicate he would be coming to LSU. That was until the Rangers took him in the 16th round and Brown—wait for it—deleted the Tiger emoji tweet. Drama!

But after all the dust settled it sounds like Brown will be making to campus after all. As The Advocate’s Leah Vann put it there is “no reason to be concerned that Jake won’t be on campus” according to ahem SOURCES (likely Brown or his parents). Brown is another lefty pitching prospect.

Ashton Larson was also selected in the 20th round, by the Minnesota Twins. Larson is an outfield/first baseman who is the state of Kansas’s top player. He too is a lefty—so many lefties I love it!—but the guess is he won’t sign.

Players have until July 25 to their sign their contracts so Jay Johnson isn’t out of the woods just yet.