LSU’s Jake Brown And Signee Pitcher Logan Schmidt Taken In 2nd Round Of MLB Draft

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

LSU junior outfielder Jake Brown, a hero of the Tigers’ run to the national championship in the 2025 season, was drafted late in the second round by the Seattle Mariners with the 65th overall pick of the Major League Baseball Draft on Saturday.

LSU Baseball: Jake Brown Expected To Be Taken As High as 2nd Round In MLB Draft On Saturday

In addition, LSU signee Logan Schmidt, a left-handed pitcher from Ganesha High in Aliso Viejo, California, near Los Angeles, was also taken in the second round with the 59th overall selection by the Cleveland Guardians.

Earlier Saturday, LSU sophomore center fielder Derek Curiel went as the fifth pick of the first round to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Surprise! LSU CF Derek Curiel goes higher than expected in 1st round at 5 to Pittsburgh. https://t.co/v9JNIC0n1W

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) July 11, 2026

Brown, who went to Sulphur High in Sulphur near Lake Charles, finished second in home runs with 16 and in RBIs with 49 in the 2026 season despite missing the last 17 games of the season with a broken hamate bone in his wrist. He led the team in homers and RBIs and was hitting .309 at the time of his injury. And the Tigers lost 10 of those, including nine of 12 SEC games.

Jay Johnson Calls Jake Brown “A Guy You Wish You Could Coach Forever”

In 2025, Brown hit .320 with eight home runs and 48 RBIs. He batted a team-high .385 (5-for-13) in the College World Series with four RBIs and two runs scored. He delivered two-run single for a 2-1 lead in the sixth in the win over Arkansas on June 18 that sent the Tigers to the national title series. He went 3-for-5 with two RBIs a win over UCLA in Omaha on June 16. He hit .324 (11-for-34) in LSU’s 11 NCAA Tournament games in ’25 with one double, one homer, nine RBIs and six runs scored. In the Super Regional win over West Virginia that sent LSU to the CWS, Brown went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and four RBIs.

“It’s all I’ve been looking at for the past week – spreadsheets, whiteboards, notebooks.”
-LSU coach Jay Johnson as he tries to keep his No. 2 prep signing class intact.https://t.co/fqiaKLzL8o

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) July 11, 2026

Schmidt (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) has thrown 97 mph and averaged between 93 and 95 at Ganesha High. Where Schmidt was drafted in the second round gives him a slot value of approximately $1.6 million, so the odds are he will likely not go to LSU.