The LSU Tigers' elite outfield trio dominates national rankings.
The LSU Tigers have been praised for the amount of depth that they have this season. Fresh off a College World Series win, their starting talent is still as elite as ever.
One place where they can argue having the best single group in the nation is in the outfield. There will be a little bit of shuffling in how they line up this year, but they are returning a group of excellent players.
All three Tigers starters were included in D1 Baseball's ranking of the Top 150 Outfielders (subscription required) in the college baseball season, with the lowest coming in at No. 61.
Here's where the three LSU stars stand:
No. 3 - CF Derek Curiel
Curiel continues to generate hype as one of the best players in the country. Only Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets outfielder Drew Burress and Virginia Cavaliers star AJ Gracia rank above him in the outfielder rankings.
On defense, Curiel slides into center field to prepare him for where he is likely to land at the next level. He isn't the fastest player in LSU's outfield, but he has an excellent combination of range, anticipation and arm strength. He should be great at manning center field.
Offensively, no questions are being raised. He has been known as a future top-end hitter since early in his high school career. As a freshman, Curiel posted a .345/.470/.519 slash line with seven home runs and 55 RBI.
Curiel is draft eligible as a sophomore, so Tigers fans should probably prepare for this to be his final season.
No. 15 - RF Jake Brown
Brown took a major step forward in his second season. He set a good pace in a more limited role as a freshman, but made himself impossible to take off the field as a sophomore.
The Lake Charles native posted a .320/.407/.528 slash line with eight home runs and 48 RBI with 11 stolen bases. He is just an all-around talent. There's not one area where he is really lagging. He could hit for a little bit more power, but all reports say that he has taken a step forward there.
No. 61 - LF Chris Stanfield
Stanfield takes a hit in these tankings because he doesn't really bring much offense, but the ground he covers in the field is incredible. He is always a threat to steal an out by making an incredible catch.
Tigers head coach Jay Johnson once said that water covers 97% of the earth, and the other 3% is covered by Stanfield.
LSU was able to bring the former Auburn Tigers star up to a .298 batting average last season. The power is still not there, but he can at least get on base.