Eight former LSU baseball players are listed on MLB active rosters for opening day on March 27.
The former Tigers appearing on MLB active rosters include Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, DJ LeMahieu, Alex Bregman, Aaron Nola, Kevin Gausman, Josh Smith and Jake Fraley.
Paul Skenes
Paul Skenes is a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who made his MLB debut on May 11 of last season. Skenes was named the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year with an 11-3 record and a 1.96 ERA in 133.0 innings in 23 starts. He recorded 32 walks and 170 strikeouts.
Skenes was selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. In his rookie season, he was named the starting pitcher for the National League team in the 2024 All-Star Game, becoming just the fifth rookie to start on the mound in an All-Star Game.
At LSU, Skenes was named the 2023 Dick Howser Award winner, the D1 Baseball National Player of the Year and the SEC Pitcher of the Year, as he was the ace on the Tigers’ journey to winning the National Championship. He compiled a 13-2 record and a 1.69 ERA in 122.2 innings with 20 walks and an SEC-record 209 strikeouts.
Dylan Crews
Dylan Crews is an outfielder for the Washington Nationals. Crews cracked the MLB roster in August of 2024. He was selected No. 2 overall behind LSU teammate Paul Skenes in 2024.
Crews had 119 MLB at-bats in 31 games, recording 26 hits with three home runs, eight RBI and 12 runs scored. He recorded a .218 batting average and .288 on-base percentage, with 11 walks. On the bases, Crews stole 12 bases last season.
Crews posted a .380 career batting average in 196 games over three seasons at LSU with 43 doubles, eight triples, 58 home runs, 184 RBI and 237 runs. He was a two-time First-Team All-American and was voted SEC Baseball Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023.
DJ LeMahieu
DJ LeMahieu is an infielder for the New York Yankees. He is a 15-year veteran in the MLB and is in his seventh season with the Yankees. LeMahieu is a three-time MLB All-Star, a four-time Gold Glove recipient and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
LeMahieu played at LSU in 2008 and 2009 and signed with the Chicago Cubs after he was selected in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft. LeMahieu was the starting second baseman for LSU’s 2009 CWS championship team.
Alex Bregman
Alex Bregman is an infielder for the Boston Red Sox. He is entering his 10th MLB season and first with the Red Sox after being traded from the Houston Astros in a shocking move.
Bregman played at LSU from 2013 through 2015 and led the Tigers to two College World Series appearances. He was the No. 2 overall selection by the Astros in the 2015 MLB Draft. He was a two-time first-team all-American at LSU and was named the recipient of the 2013 Brooks Wallace Award, which goes to the nation’s best shortstop.
Aaron Nola
Aaron Nola is a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies who enters his 11th season in the Philadelphia rotation. He was selected in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Phillies and named a 2018 National League All-Star.
Nola was a two-time first-team All-American at LSU and was voted SEC Pitcher of the Year in 2013 and 2014. He completed his LSU career with a 30-6 record, a 2.09 ERA and 345 strikeouts in 332.0 innings.
Kevin Gausman
Kevin Gausman is a pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, and he begins his 13th MLB season and his fourth with the Blue Jays. He was voted to the 2023 American League All-Star team, and he helped lead Toronto to a playoff berth in 2023 by posting a 12-9 mark with a 3.16 ERA and 237 strikeouts in 185.0 innings.
Gausman pitched at LSU in 2011 and 2012 and earned first-team All-America honors at LSU in 2012 before being selected in the first round of the MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles.
Josh Smith
Josh Smith is an infielder for the Texas Rangers who was called up to the Rangers’ MLB roster in May of 2022 after 3 years in the minors. He is a World Series Champion from 2023 and the 2024 Silver Slugger Award recipient.
Smith was the second-round selection of the New York Yankees in the 2019 MLB Draft and was traded in July 2021 from the Yankees to the Rangers.
He spent time at LSU from 2017-19 and was the starting third baseman for LSU’s 2017 College World Series runners-up team, earning Freshman All-America and Freshman All-SEC recognition.
Jake Fraley
Jake Fraley is an outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds, entering his seventh MLB season.
Fraley was a part of the 2015 College World Series run and was named the recipient of LSU Baseball’s 2016 Skip Bertman Award, given to the player who best exemplifies the program’s spirit.
