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2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,402 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
College  | Story | 1/6/2023

Geaux-ing Up; LSU Opens at #1

Photo: LSU Baseball (LSU Athletics)
Heading into Year 2 in Baton Rouge, LSU Coach Jay Johnson has his Tigers in as good of a spot as they’ve been in years as they earned the preseason No. 1 ranking heading into the 2023 season. The Tigers have assembled what looks to be one of the more fearsome rosters in college baseball, returning SEC stars like Dylan Crews and Tre’ Morgan but also loading up on new transfer like 2022 Freshman of the Year Tommy White and 2022 John Olerud Award Winner Paul Skenes.

What does Jay Johnson think of the prestigious ranking? He tries not to put the wagon before the horse. “I don’t get too ahead of myself,” Johnson said in an interview with PG’s Vinnie Cervino, “we obviously play great competition.” He’s right too. The SEC had a nation-leading eight teams ranked in the Preseason Top 25 with seven of those eight ranked in the top 11.



LSU lost the highest drafted college player in the country last season in Jacob Berry (7th overall to the Marlins) but it looks like centerfielder Dylan Crews has a chance to surpass that mark. Crews has a chance to be only the third No. 1 overall pick out of LSU following Eric Hetzel in 1985 and Ben McDonald in 1989, along with being the highest drafted Tiger since Alex Bregman went second overall in 2015.

“It’s just the total package: elite talent and an elite person in terms of character, makeup, (and) competitiveness,” Johnson said, “Rarely do you see a guy that has that much ability and is in tune to get that ability out on a consistent basis.”

Crews is an example of the ripple effects felt across the baseball landscape because of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft. With only five rounds, plenty of high school kids fulfilled their commitment to school that otherwise would have signed, or as Johnson puts it, “Guys like him don’t show up on campus often.”

LSU certainly had the merits to be a top 10 team entering the season but there’s never a good reason not to get better when you have the opportunity, so it added the two biggest names in the transfer portal: Tommy White, formerly of NC State, and Paul Skenes, formerly of Air Force. “We’re replacing Jacob Berry and Cade Doughty (2nd round, Blue Jays),” Johnson said, “and there’s no better way to fill that than with a known commodity like Tommy White.”

White took the nation by storm last year, earning the moniker ‘Tommy Tanks’ en route to winning Perfect Game Freshman of the Year. White immediately became not only a sensation but one of the best hitters in the sport, slugging over .750 with 27 jacks. Johnson has been very impressed with White, but everyone knows about the power; what’s stood out to Johnson has been the glove work and pure hit tool.

“People are going to be very surprised at the defensive player that he is,” Johnson said, “the pure hitting ability gets overlooked because the power is special…he’ll help us fill that void in losing two of the best players in the country.”

The rest of the roster is surrounded by a supporting cast of returners led by Crews and first baseman Tre’ Morgan. “(With) Dylan Crews, Tre’ Morgan, Jordan Thompson, Ty Floyd, Josh Pearson, you have a really good core of returning players.”

Floyd is a name expected to compete in the starting rotation and that weekend staff could look very different from a year ago. Gone is Ma’Khail Hilliard, who made 16 starts, but a trio of transfers led by Skenes enter as highly touted prospects. “We’re excited to add Paul (Skenes), one of the best pitchers in the country,” Johnson said. “Thatcher (Hurd) has an incredibly high ceiling and Christian (Little) does as well.”

Floyd is one of two names on the mound, along with Cape Cod League star Grant Taylor, who Johnson seems most excited by in terms of their development this fall. “(There was a) real emergence on the mound with Floyd and Grant Taylor,” he said. The reason for the developmental gains of the pitching staff this fall? Johnson credits the addition of new pitching coach Wes Johnson, who LSU was able to lure back to the SEC from the Minnesota Twins.

Jay Johnson had to replace his two full time assistants this offseason as recruiting coordinator Dan Fitzgerald left to become the head coach at Kansas and pitching coach Jason Kelly left to become the head coach at Washington - both Power 5 head coaching jobs. If you’re sensing a theme you’d be right because as it is with the roster, LSU doesn’t rebuild, they reload.

Jay Johnson was able to lure one of the best recruiting coordinators in the country Josh Jordan away from Duke then made the big splash of grabbing Wes Johnson from the Twins. Jordan generally is regarded as a top recruiter, instrumental in the development of Duke’s program under Chris Pollard, and Wes Johnson was poached from Arkansas to the MLB ranks and is regarded by his peers as one of the brightest pitching minds in the country.

“I want to find the people that are the best at what they do,” Jay Johnson said. “Josh (Jordan) on the recruiting and catching side is outstanding; Wes is elite, might very well be the best pitching coach in all of baseball not just college baseball”

Even as the players change the goal stays the same: winning games and development. “We’re just trying to put all the pieces in place to help players live out their dream of being MLB players and go to Omaha and compete for national championships,” Johnson said. But just because the Tigers have earned the Preseason No. 1 ranking, the job isn’t finished. The SEC is still a vaunted gauntlet of stacked teams and Johnson knows he and his players are going to have to fight to finish the season at No. 1. “Nothing is going to be given to us,” he said. “We’re going to have to earn it.”

College | Recruiting | 11/11/2026

Head of the Class: No. 5 Vanderbilt

Kyler Peterson
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Complete 2027 Vanderbilt Recruiting Class No. 5 Vanderbilt Head Coach: Tim Corbin | Recruiting Coordinator: Scott Brown Total Signees: 16 | Top 100 Signees: 5 Top 5 Recruits RK Name Pos. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST 21 Ethan Gustus RHP 6-6 192 R-R Roseville Roseville CA 55 Broder Katke C 6-2 205 R-R Brother Rice Bloomfield Hills MI 61 Graham Keen 3B/RHP 6-4 185 R-R Mt Lebanon Pittsburgh PA 63 Stephen Bobo OF 5-11 175 L-L Shelbyville Central Shelbyville TN 85 Derek Yormack RHP 6-3 220 R-R Bellmore JFK Merrick NY The Dores check in at No. 5 in the recruiting rankings with a loaded 2027 class. The class holds five players currently ranked in the top 100 and ten total ranked within the top 200. Coach Corbin and his staff dipped into the west coast to head their class with one of the best arms in the country, California native Ethan Gustus. The 6-foot-6 right-hander has touched triple...
College | Recruiting | 11/11/2026

Head of the Class: No. 6 Alabama

Jay Vossler
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Complete 2027 Alabama Recruiting Class Head Coach: Rob Vaughn | Recruiting Coordinator: Jason Jackson Total Signees: 17 | Top 100 Signees: 4 Top 5 Recruits RK Name Pos. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST 29 Finnian O'Loughlin OF 6-2 200 R-R Delbarton Jersey City NJ 31 Mac Morris SS 6-0 187 R-R Dorman Taylors SC 47 Harry Chubb Jones Jr. * SS 6-4 190 R-R McEachern Douglasville GA 86 Anderson Lambert OF 6-0 180 R-R McDonogh Laurel MD 108 Jude Carter RHP 6-5 210 R-R Alexander Central Taylorsville NC * denotes enrolling early for upcoming spring After three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a trip to Omaha in 2026, Rob Vaughn and the Alabama Crimson Tide have seen their recruiting class skyrocket in the rankings. After checking in at 24 in 2024, they took a huge leap up to 8 in 2025, stayed close to that at 13 in 2026, and now sit at 6 in 2027, the highest under Rob Vaughn....
Tournaments | Championship | 11/11/2026

Florida Offense Paces All State Crown

Hannah Jo Groves
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Florida National got off to a hot start in Monday’s championship game against Texas National. Scoring all their runs in the first and second inning, Florida National held off Texas National and won 5-3 for the 14U PG National All-State Select Championship title. An electric and fun-filled weekend all led up to this final game on Field 3 at Premier Baseball of Texas. The players geared up under the lights for what would surely be another great meeting between stacked teams. Texas National was up to bat first, but Florida’s pitcher, Lucas Diaz, struck out 2 batters in a row before fielding a ground ball for the third out. Though the bottom of the first started with a strikeout for Florida National, Diaz reached first base on a dropped passed ball and Jayden Portes got on with a walk. With two on and only one out, Florida National was primed to pounce. Lucas Viera singled to...
Tournaments | Story | 11/10/2026

14u National All State Scout Notes: Day 3

Donovan May
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14u National All State Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 Cody Bloomfield ('31, FL) tallied three hits on Championship Monday and capped off an impressive weekend at the plate, finishing with a .455/.538/.636 slash line. Repeats a compact stroke and consistently gets the barrel to the baseball. Shows present strength in the hands and lower half with the ability to drive the ball from gap to gap. Mature all-fields approach continued to produce quality at-bats throughout the event.  Levi Munoz ('31, CA) worked 6.0 innings and struck out five in a strong start on the mound. Attacked hitters with a 77-80 mph fastball that showed life through the top of the strike zone and paired it with a mid-60s curveball featuring 12-to-6 shape. Worked ahead in counts throughout the outing and consistently controlled the tempo. Flashed present swing-and-miss stuff while maintaining command of the...
College | Recruiting | 11/10/2026

Head of the Class: No. 7 TCU

Quinton Hall
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Complete 2027 TCU Recruiting Class No. 7 TCU Head Coach: Kirk Saarloos | Recruiting Coordinator: John DiLaura Total Signees: 16 | Top 100 Signees: 5 Top 5 Recruits RK Name Pos. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST 19 Cooper Goff OF 6-0 185 L-R Mountain Ridge Herriman UT 41 Andrew Carlson RHP 6-3 230 R-R Trinity Classical Academy Valencia CA 79 Joe Mendazona Jr C 6-3 200 L-R Central Monmouth OR 94 Cooper George LHP 6-3 175 L-L Long Beach Wilson Long Beach CA 98 Blake Ragsdale SS 6-0 175 R-R Lyons Twp Burr Ridge IL Head Coach Kirk Saarloos and his staff have put together another impressive recruiting class, landing at No. 7 in the Class of 2027 Recruiting Rankings. With 16 commitments spanning 11 different states, including five prospects ranked inside the Top 100 nationally, the Horned Frogs have made their presence felt across the country. Leading the offensive talent is PG All-American...
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 11/10/2026

2027 MLB Draft Reports: 101-200

Tyler Henninger
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2027 MLB Draft Board: Top 200 2027 MLB Draft Reports: 1-100   101. Cooper Williams | LHP | LSU | L-L | Alvin, TX Williams is a lanky, projectable left-hander, standing at 6-foot-4, 200-pounds. A loose, whip arm hides the ball well into a tough low 3/4 slot. The fastball sits in the low-90’s. Both a sweeping slider and curveball are spun well. Williams shows strong pitchability with the ability to add and subtract. Strikes will need to improve if he is to stick as a starter long term. 102. Christopher Ramirez | SS | Tennessee | R-R | Corona, CA Ramirez was the WAC freshman of the year and followed it up with an even better sophomore campaign. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound shortstop has now transferred to Tennessee for the ‘27 season. The right-handed hitter Ramirez showcases premium contact skills, especially in-zone. The approach will get overly aggressive at times, resulting...
Tournaments | Story | 11/9/2026

14u National All State Scout Notes: Day 2

AJ Denny
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14u National All State Scout Notes: Day 1 Nicholas Gollatz (2031, Avondale, Pa.) of Team Northeast continued to put together quality at-bats on Day 2, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, a walk, and two stolen bases across two games. The right-handed hitter has been an on-base machine throughout the tournament, showing a mature approach with solid bat-to-ball skills and the ability to use the entire field. Gollatz rarely chases outside the zone and has been a consistent presence in the Northeast lineup as the team advances to bracket play. Here’s another look at ’31 OF Julian Diaz (OH), barreling this pitch for a double. Displays good balance in the box with a quick bat. #NatAllState @PG_OhioValley https://t.co/Bal1YW2aB7 — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) November 8, 2026 Like his teammate, Julian Diaz (2031, Toronto, Ohio) of Team Northeast, also had a productive Day 2. The...
College | Recruiting | 11/10/2026

Head of the Class: No. 8 Tennessee

Geoff Billock
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Complete 2027 Tennessee Recruiting Class Head Coach: Josh Elander | Recruiting Coordinator: Ricky Martinez Total Signees: 11 | Top 100 Signees: 7 Top 5 Recruits RK Name Pos. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST 1 Dylan Seward SS 6-0 177 S-R Norco Corona CA 9 Sebastian Wilson OF 6-0 200 L-R IMG Academy Chicago  IL 23 Max Hemenway SS 6-1 185 L-R IMG Academy Puyallup WA 27 Leo Nockley SS 5-8 165 L-R Wyoming Seminary Upper Plains PA 48 Caden Dawson OF 6-2 205 L-R Blessed Trinity Marietta  GA Coach Josh Elander and his staff add 11 signees with 9 out of the 11 cracking the top 200 in recently updated class rankings. This year’s recruiting class for the Vols is led by a serious crop of athletic short stops and the list does not end after the top five recruits. Headlining the group of recruits we have the number one overall player in the country named Dylan Seward. Sebastian...
College | Recruiting | 11/9/2026

Head of the Class: No. 9 Florida

Marcus Thomas
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Complete 2027 Florida Recruiting Class No. 9 Florida Head Coach: Kevin O’Sullivan | Recruiting Coordinator: Tom Slater Total Signees: 14 | Top 100 Signees: 4 Top 5 Recruits RK Name Pos. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST 8 Kinon Bastian OF 6-0 190 R-R The First Academy Winter Garden FL 24 Juan Diaz SS 6-0 180 S-R IMG Academy Hialeah FL 68 Rylan McMahan LHP 6-2 180 L-L Clay Green Cove Springs FL 75 Liam Dougherty RHP 6-2 200 R-R IMG Academy Hendersonville FL 112 Landon Green RHP 6-1 185 R-R TNXL Academy Clearwater FL The Gators once again find their way inside the top 10 with another strong 2027 recruiting class, led by Kinon Bastian. The outfielder has a 6-foot, 190-pound frame and plus athleticism with speed and strength. The PG All-American also shows some juice in the bat for the right-handed hitter. Bastian is joined by fellow All-American Juan Diaz, the 6-foot, 180-pound...
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 11/9/2026

2027 MLB Draft Reports: 1-100

Tyler Henninger
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2027 MLB Draft Board: Top 200 1. Dylan Seward | SS | Norco | S-R | Eastvale, CA | Commitment: Tennessee Seward is a lean, athletic infielder with loud tools throughout the profile. The California prep is a switch-hitter with lightning quick hands. He has shown quality in-game power from both sides of the ball, despite a smaller build. There have been swing and miss issues with fastballs at times. Seward is a top of the class, 80-grade runner with the ability to steal bags often. He is a plus defender at shortstop with twitchy and fluidity. 2. Brendan Lawson | SS | Florida | L-R | Toronto, ON Lawson is a strong 6-foot-3, 215-pound infielder with massive offensive upside with a consistent track record. The left-handed hitting shortstop possesses easy raw power that translates well in-game. There is a strong feel to hit to go with the impact. The approach can become overly patient at times,...
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