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| Image Source lsusports.net |
As the 2023 MLB season kicks off on Thursday, it's worth noting that eight former LSU players have made it onto Major League Baseball active rosters. This indicates that LSU has been a great source of talent for the league, and highlights the success of these former players in their respective careers.
Former LSU Tigers baseball players are making a splash in the MLB. Infielder DJ LeMahieu, originally from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is entering his thirteenth MLB season and his fifth with the New York Yankees. He is a three-time MLB All-Star, has won batting titles in both the American League with the Yankees and the National League with the Colorado Rockies. 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.
Infielder Alex Bregman, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is entering his eighth season with the Houston Astros. He played at LSU from 2013 through 2015 and led the Tigers to two College World Series appearances. The No. 2 overall selection by the Astros in the 2015 MLB Draft, Bregman was a two-time first-team All-American at LSU, and he was named the recipient of the 2013 Brooks Wallace Award as the nation’s best shortstop. Bregman has helped lead the Astros to the 2017 and 2022 World Series titles as the club’s starting third baseman.
Pitcher Aaron Nola, a Baton Rouge native, enters his ninth season in the Philadelphia rotation, and he was instrumental in the Phillies’ drive to the 2022 National League pennant. Nola was a two-time first-team All-America selection and two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year at LSU, and he was voted the 2014 National Collegiate Pitcher of the Year.
Pitcher Kevin Gausman, originally from Centennial, Colorado, pitched at LSU in 2011 and 2012, and is beginning his 11th MLB season and his second with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was a 2021 National League All-Star with the San Francisco Giants, recording a 14-6 mark with a 2.81 ERA and 227 strikeouts in 192 innings.
Catcher Austin Nola, also from Baton Rouge, made his MLB debut in 2019 with the Seattle Mariners, collecting 10 home runs and 31 RBI in 79 games. He was traded to San Diego in August 2020, and he has contributed significantly to the Padres’ appearances in the 2020 and 2022 MLB playoffs as San Diego’s starting catcher. Austin Nola was LSU’s starting shortstop for four seasons (2009-12), and he helped lead the Tigers to the 2009 College World Series title.
Outfielder Jake Fraley, a native of Middletown, Delaware, begins his fifth MLB season and his second with the Cincinnati Reds after three years with the Seattle Mariners. He helped lead LSU to the SEC championship and a College World Series berth in 2015, and he was named the recipient of LSU Baseball’s 2016 Skip Bertman Award as the player who best exemplifies the spirit of the program.
Pitcher Alex Lange, a product of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, made his MLB debut with Detroit in April 2021. He was the 2017 first-round draft selection of the Chicago Cubs and finished his three-year career (2015-17) at LSU with a 30-9 record, becoming the 10th LSU pitcher to record 30 wins. Lange compiled 406 career strikeouts, the second-highest total in LSU history, and he earned first-team All-America and All-SEC honors during his collegiate career.
Infielder Josh Smith, originally from Baton Rouge, was called up to the Texas Rangers’ MLB roster in May 2022. He played at LSU from 2017-
