LSU baseball’s search for a shortstop ended before it even began as Steven Milam announced he has withdrawn his name from the MLB draft and is staying at LSU for the 2027 season.

Multiple reports confirmed on Friday that the star shortstop has withdrawn his name from the MLB draft. Milam has been a steady staple in the Tigers’ lineup for three seasons, boasting a .305 career average at the plate. He has also been a defensive standout, making only 14 errors in three seasons.

However, his junior season at LSU was one of his lower-performing seasons at LSU, which most fans speculate is his reason for pulling out of the draft. During LSU’s tough 2026 season, Milam made four defensive errors and batted .296 while knocking in 49 runs.

During the Tigers’ roughest stint of the season, head coach Jay Johnson said that most of his challenges at the plate were just having bad luck in the batters box. 

“[Milam] can’t play better shortstop,” Johnson said during a midweek press conference in April. “I’ve never seen this before in my entire career.”

Johnson also said that Milam was struggling statistically, but not due to any mechanical or mental issues. He described the challenge by saying he wasn’t getting hits, but he wasn’t striking out significantly either. Milam was making unlucky, hard contact, and getting out. 

Milam’s return to the Alex Box Stadium and LSU in 2027 will be crucial to the Tigers’ goal of a third national championship under Johnson. With four staples of the lineup graduating or moving on to the big leagues, retaining Milam at shortstop will be great for the program’s leadership and expectations, as well as the outcome of future games.