Superstar Prospect Logan Schmidt Announces Decision To Join LSU Tigers

The LSU Tigers just got their single-best addition of the offseason as superstar pitching prospect Logan Schmidt has announced his plans to join the Tigers instead of going to Junior College.

Jay Johnson and his crew knew that it would be a long shot to get him to campus from the jump. He was a highly touted talent who could go anywhere in the first two rounds of the 2026 MLB draft. Schmidt was taken in the second round by the Cleveland Guardians.

The Guardians weren't able to sign him for slot value and quickly ran out of bonus pool money, so Schmidt ended up deciding to pass on joining them. That would have been a good landing spot for the southpaw, as they have a history of developing pitchers.

Even though he got past the MLB’s signing deadline, it still wasn’t a guarantee that he would play for LSU. Junior college was actually a popular choice for him. While picking the Tigers over a junior college might be a no-brainer from a developmental side, it is going to have a major impact on his draft status.

Because Schmidt is now going to Baton Rouge, he won't be eligible to be drafted again until 2029. Had he gone to a JUCO instead, he could have gone back into the draft next season.

Schmidt's stock doesn't need that much help. If he were to put on a show at the JUCO level for a year, he'd probably be a first-round pick. Should he struggle out of the gates, though, it could hurt. This option puts his MLB dreams on hold for a couple more seasons, but it could very well end up playing out well for him.

LSU is one of the top producers of professional talent right now. Both Paul Skenes and Kade Anderson were top-five picks. Anthony Eyanson has had a great start to his professional career, helping build the reputation even further.

Schmidt is someone who can seriously turn onto the first overall pick at some point soon. He is a southpaw who has a great build. He also just turned 18 a little over a week ago, so he's very young as well. The main thing that he will have to do over the next couple of years is add some velocity to his fastball. He already has a nice release with a slider and changeup, as well. It'll be fun to watch him play in Baton Rouge.