As the calendar ticks into July, LSU baseball has remained busy in the transfer portal. The Tigers picked up a pair of recruits from the transfer portal in the past few weeks, bringing its portal pickups to eight as it starts to round out its 2027 roster.
LSU landed right-handed pitcher Kaden Smith on June 30. Smith announced the commitment on social media, marking the move to a third school for his third year of college baseball. The Florida native began his career at TCU and is moving on from USF as he heads to Baton Rouge.
Smith was busy in his season with the Bulls. He made eight starts among 16 appearances, totaling 46⅔ innings at a 4.24 ERA rate in his second collegiate year. Those numbers are a step up, both in usage and execution, from his time in Fort Worth. At TCU he posted a 5.25 ERA in a far more limited 12 innings.
His skill set fits the bill of the high-power, bat-avoiding pitcher whom pitching coach Nate Yeskie and staff have fallen in love with at LSU. He racked up 52 strikeouts last season, but he also carries the control-based baggage that often comes with power pitchers. He issued 30 walks and plunked 17 batters in 2026.
The addition of Smith fills LSU baseball’s need for righty arms in its pitching staff. LSU is losing eight such pitchers for 2027, with Marcos Paz’s recent entry into the transfer portal further pushing that need. Smith brings upside and adaptability that head coach Jay Johnson and company hope will bridge the gap.
LSU also added sophomore Angel Laya. The former Oregon outfielder announced the move on July 3 and is the third outfielder to come to LSU through the portal this summer.
Laya was outstanding in his first collegiate season, starting 59 of 61 games in Oregon’s 2026 season that featured a regional victory. The then-freshman hit to a batting average four points short of .300, swatted 14 homers and drove in 47. He carried a .966 OPS, as well.
That production was complimented by an error-free season as the Ducks’ everyday right fielder. The transition to Baton Rouge is less steep for Laya than it would be for others, as he has already proven his ability to handle the responsibility of being the starting outfielder for a power school with Omaha aspirations.
Laya joins Tulane transfer Jason Wachs and Notre Dame transfer Bino Watters as outfielders who are a part of the 2026 portal recruiting class. The Tigers’ outfield corps was the biggest weakness for LSU’s 2027 roster at the beginning of the offseason, likely losing all three of its opening day starters from a year prior.
While center fielder Derek Curiel has not made any more comments about his decision between returning or turning pro, right fielder Jake Brown will likely turn pro after the draft and left fielder Chris Stanfield is out of eligibility. Laya’s addition serves as a very strong finishing touch on LSU’s potential outfield overhaul for 2027.
