By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The LSU baseball program just got a shot in the arm with one of the best high school, left-handed arms in the nation deciding to come to the Tigers for the 2027 season.
Logan Schmidt (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) signed with LSU for the 2027 class several months ago. But when he was selected by the Cleveland Guardians in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft and 59th overall on July 11, the chances of him enrolling at LSU seemed remote.
Logan Schmidt is headed to LSU 🐯
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) August 1, 2026
The 5-star prep lefthander will play for Jay Johnson in Baton Rouge despite being drafted No. 59 overall by the Guardians in the 2026 MLB Draft.
LSU now has the No. 1 recruiting class for 2026. pic.twitter.com/gpISpRkSKj
However, Schmidt, the No. 12 prospect for the draft by Perfect Game from Ganesha High in Aliso Viejo, California, near Los Angeles, turned down approximately $1.7 million from the Guardians. Then he considered playing junior college baseball, which would have made him eligible for the 2027 MLB Draft instead of not until 2029 at a four-year college like LSU. Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski went that route and was drafted in the second round in 2022 out of Crowder College after first committing to LSU.
Schmidt considered Golden West College among other junior colleges before announcing his decision to go to LSU on Saturday.
LSU coach Jay Johnson and pitching coach Nate Yeskie did not have a true ace last season, and the weekend starting rotation was average as Friday night starter Casan Evans struggled to repeat his exceptional freshman season of 2025. And sophomore William Schmidt continued to struggle at times as a starter.
Schmidt could move right into the Southeastern Conference weekend rotation this season and will be a Tiger for three seasons, barring a move to another school via the portal.
Perfect Game has had Johnson’s class of 2027 ranked No. 2 to Vanderbilt for months, but Schmidt deciding to enroll at LSU will likely move that class to No. 1 in multiple rankings.
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