LSU’s 2026 recruiting class has almost every type of hitter.
From speedy center fielders and power-hitting corner outfielders to defensively versatile middle infielders and contact-oriented corner infielders, LSU coach Jay Johnson and his coaching staff have checked nearly every box.
The only question is how many of these talented players will make it to campus. That’s an answer LSU won’t have until after the MLB draft, which begins Saturday with rounds 1-4 and ends Sunday with rounds 5-20.
To help preview the draft, The Advocate spoke with six MLB scouts about LSU’s incoming high school class and its own draft-eligible players to paint a clearer picture of what may happen over the weekend. They spoke to The Advocate confidentially.
This story is part one of a three-part series of scouting reports, draft predictions and analysis on every LSU player and signee.
Here’s what you need to know about each hitting prospect in LSU’s 2026 freshman class.
Dominic Santarelli, OF
School: St. Joseph Catholic
Hometown: Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
Ht/Wt: 6-2, 230 pounds
Draft rankings: No. 81, ESPN; No. 129, MLB.com
Breakdown: There isn’t a prospect in LSU’s class that has a higher ceiling than Santarelli, a power-hitting corner outfielder who blasted seven balls over 114 mph at the MLB draft combine last month with a wooden bat.
His elite power, generated by his lightning-fast hand speed and linebacker-like physical traits, was an object of fascination for scouts who spoke with The Advocate. Although his size suggests he’s a first baseman, three scouts believe he has the athleticism and speed to play either corner outfield spot.
“Our scout said he would want to try him out in center field because he can run,” one scout said.
Another scout likened Santarelli’s ceiling to Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz, a former Wake Forest star who won the American League Rookie of the Year award last season.
“Of all the players in (LSU’s 2026 class), I think he ends up the best,” the same scout said. “If every player in that class went to LSU, I think he would be the top pick out of the class.”
The high praise suggests his odds of ending up at LSU are slim to none, but three scouts believe his chances of making it to campus are basically a coin flip. That’s, in part, because of his potentially high asking price for MLB clubs.
“Those types of traits with that type of power, I would be shocked if someone didn’t take him. I have no idea what it’s going to require,” one scout said. “If he needs $3 million, I don’t know that someone does it. But I would bet you every team would offer $1.5 million. I bet half the teams would offer $2 million. Would he do it?”
Another scout who was familiar with Santarelli’s thinking said that “if his number’s met, he’s going to be ecstatic to go play pro ball, and if it’s not, he’s going to be ecstatic to go to LSU.” He also said that Santarelli, who decommitted from Louisville before signing with LSU, made his pledge to the Tigers with the expectation he’d play for the school.
He wasn’t using his commitment as potential leverage against teams during the draft. The scout added that he is familiar with Santarelli’s agent, and he doesn’t expect his agency to let him “sign for cheap.”
“I’m not necessarily saying I got the vibe that he wanted the college experience,” the scout said. “But I think he definitely was making decisions (picking LSU over Louisville) based on the fact that he was going to end up at school.”
If he does make it to LSU, one scout believes he could become the national freshman of the year. Whether he reaches that ceiling comes down to his ability to cut down on his swing-and-miss rate and make other small mechanical adjustments to his swing.
“It’s kind of a matter of him figuring out the timing in his swing,” one scout said. “All summer, he was crashing into his front side.”
Scout’s take: “If you give me 10 Santarellis and put them all in the draft, and they all ask for $2 million, probably five of them get paid. I’m not kidding. It’s legit right down the middle. So it depends on how the draft falls for the teams that are on him (and whether) his number comes down at all, but it’s a big number; he might get it. If he gets to campus, it’s another (player) that’s high-risk, high-reward. He could be your best player in two years. He also could be in the portal.”
Odds of reaching campus: 50/50
Malachi Washington, OF
School: Park View High
Hometown: Stone Mountain, Georgia
Ht/Wt: 6-1, 203 pounds
Draft rankings: No. 85, ESPN; No. 118, MLB.com
Breakdown: Washington, a center fielder by trade, is an excellent athlete who possesses a combination of speed and power that will certainly intrigue MLB clubs.
Washington has quick hands and is a twitchy athlete. His right-handed swing could use some work — one scout described his overall game as somewhat raw — and he struggled against better competition, but he only turned 18 in June.
“He’s got a chance to be really good because it is different,” one scout said. “It is different hand speed, bat speed and force output for a kid that size. Ridiculously strong. It’s just a matter of him transferring that strength into power.”
The same scout also said he has a strong arm and “makes it look easy” whenever he’s tracking down balls in the outfield, leading the scout to believe he can stick in center field.
“It’s pretty easy when the ball gets hit to him, almost like borderline nonchalant, and you question whether he cares on defense,” the scout said. “But that’s not the case. Once you get to know the kid, he’s happy-go-lucky.”
One scout described the odds of Washington ending up at LSU as 50/50 because “he wants a lot of money.” Another scout believes he’ll more than likely choose professional baseball over LSU.
Johnson told WBRZ that he met with Washington when the Tigers traveled to Athens back in April.
“I think his number fully puts him in the ballpark of him probably getting picked,” the scout said. “It’s not a small number, but I think there’s enough interest, enough teams that are going to be in at the number that they’re communicating.”
But if Washington did end up at LSU, the scout noted his personality would be a perfect fit in the purple and gold.
“He’s loud. It’s a big personality,” the scout said. “Baton Rouge would love this guy.”
Scout’s take: “All he has to do is be more consistent with the offensive production, but every tool is there. Probably less likely that he’s a center fielder than (LSU signee Anthony Murphy), but a little bit more polished in the hit tool, which is where it evens out.”
Odds of reaching campus: Less than 50%
Will Adams, 1B/OF
School: Hoover High
Hometown: Hoover, Alabama
Ht/Wt: 6-2, 203 pounds
Draft rankings: No. 57, The Athletic; No. 102, MLB.com; No. 130, ESPN
Breakdown: Adams is a polished left-handed-hitting (and throwing) first baseman who is athletic enough to potentially play a corner outfield spot.
“Sees the ball, manages counts, puts the bat on the ball,” one scout said. “He can get hits all over the field, and he has a little bit of power.”
Power isn’t his best trait, and he doesn’t have the speed to play center field, but Adams has garnered enough interest from MLB clubs that his odds of making it to campus are up in the air. One scout believes his chances of getting to school are 50/50, while another thought there was a 60% chance he’d go to LSU.
Johnson also told WBRZ that he met with Adams in Hoover during the same week the Tigers were set to play at the SEC Tournament.
“You just have no idea. And this guy, to me, he’s not a slam-dunk draft pick, and he’s not a slam dunk going to LSU,” one scout said. “I could honestly see this going either way.”
If he did make it to LSU, the same scout said that he could help LSU’s lineup immediately.
“That guy will come in and play first base,” another scout said. “He can hit.”
Scout’s take: “He’s not like swinging for the fence every time. He probably would have hit more home runs if he had tried. Because he has enough power with a metal bat to do that.”
Odds of reaching campus: 50/50
Anthony Murphy, OF
School: Corona High
Hometown: Corona, California
Ht/Wt: 6-0, 185 pounds
Draft rankings: No. 108, MLB.com; No. 146, ESPN
Breakdown: Murphy is a plus defensive center fielder and has plenty of power in his bat. Last season at Corona — a program that had three first-round picks in last year’s draft — Murphy led the team in home runs and batting average while hitting leadoff.
The only notable red flag for scouts is the right-handed hitter’s hit tool. As one scout told The Advocate, “the concern mainly comes from the fact that he kind of swings at everything.”
Questions surrounding Murphy’s approach and swing tendencies make him a raw prospect, even though he checks some significant boxes as a power-hitting center fielder.
“He’s for sure a center fielder. And he can throw. The only real concern is hitting enough to stay on the field,” the same scout said. “And he has enough power to get away with it. He’ll run into enough balls to have hit a ton of homers. You’re just hoping he’s not a guy who strikes out 30% of the time in the minors.”
Two scouts said they believe Murphy likely will get drafted and sign with a club. One scout said “everybody that I’ve talked to thinks he’s signing,” while the other noted that Murphy’s rawness as a prospect means that he wouldn’t be guaranteed playing time as a freshman at LSU.
If he were to join the Tigers, he’d be eligible for the draft again after his sophomore season.
“The guys who may end up choosing to sign for a lesser amount are typically the guys who are sophomore eligible, who, for one reason or another, are scared of the ramifications of not playing next year,” the scout said. “… He’s got to hit like .300 to play every day. I don’t know if he can hit .300 in college.”
Scout’s take: “I’ve heard that the interest is probably around the third round. I don’t think he needs a million dollars. When that number comes out, that’s usually what it means; it’s like a million dollars might not need to happen for him to go.”
Odds of reaching campus: Low
Nathaneal Davis, OF
School: Bishop Moore Catholic High
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
Ht/Wt: 6-0, 184 pounds
Draft rankings: N/A
Breakdown: Last week, Davis joined left-hander Braxton Beaty as the second LSU signee to officially withdraw from the draft and join the program for the 2027 season.
Davis has a chance to immediately start in center field for the Tigers as a freshman. He has excellent speed and is a plus athlete with a strong arm, stealing 78 bases in high school.
“Davis is kind of like (Chris) Stanfield,” one scout said, “but he hits left-handed.”
Davis doesn’t have much power and struggled a bit against top competition nationally, but his speed and athleticism should help an LSU team that lacked both a year ago.
“He’s one of those guys that I think kind of falls into that spot where teams like him at a third- to fourth-round number,” one scout said before Davis took his name out of the draft, “but he’s probably going to be asking for something a little bit higher. And he’s probably not going to get it.”
Scout’s take: “First time I saw him, I was like, this guy is toolsy as all get out. He can run, he can throw. Very interesting guy.”
Odds of reaching campus: 100%
Wessley Roberson, OF
School: Glynn Academy
Hometown: Brunswick, Georgia
Ht/Wt: 6-0, 175 pounds
Draft rankings: No. 175, ESPN
Breakdown: Roberson is a speedy outfielder who has a strong knack for putting the bat on the ball. He could hit for more power in the future, even though his approach at the plate currently is contact-oriented.
Injuries slowed him down this spring, but Roberson heads into the draft without many obvious holes.
“I think he’s kind of an average bag of fives across the board,” one scout said, “outside of the fact that he’s a solid runner.”
Despite a profile suggesting he could make an immediate impact in college, two scouts said they expect Roberson to sign with an MLB club. Three scouts suggested that’s largely because he’d be willing to put pen to paper for a lower number, with one scout saying that could be $500,000.
“It’s probably only like five or six teams that are really seriously going to draft him,” another scout said. “And it probably helps that the family is willing to sign for less.”
Scout’s take: “He didn’t play a ton on the circuit, but when he did, he made contact with everything he swung at. Like, his whiff rate at the events he went to was stupid (good).”
Odds of reaching campus: Low
Parker Loew, SS
School: Trinity Christian Academy
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Ht/Wt: 6-0, 180 pounds
Draft rankings: N/A
Breakdown: Loew is an athletic shortstop who is expected to stick at the position going forward. Offensively, he is a work in progress.
“I’m willing to (go through that) development to clean stuff up,” one scout said. “But he’s also just not super consistent, and there’s definitely some needed polish in the way he does things at a consistent level.”
Two scouts said they expect Loew to make it to LSU. One scout said that between Loew and Jordan Martinez, his high school teammate and a fellow LSU signee, Loew has the better chance of making an immediate impact on the field.
Scout’s take: “He can be a shortstop for some college teams; I don’t know if he can be LSU’s.”
Odds of reaching campus: High
Jordan Martinez, INF
School: Trinity Christian Academy
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Ht/Wt: 6-0, 195 pounds
Draft rankings: N/A
Breakdown: Martinez is listed as a shortstop on Perfect Game, but unlike Loew, the infielder’s future is likely at third base. There are also questions surrounding his offensive game.
“I saw him strike out so much,” one scout said. “He just really cannot handle spin.”
As with Loew, the expectation is that Martinez will wind up at school. His playing time could be sparse next season after the Tigers added Texas State transfer Dawson Park last month.
“I would expect both of them to make it (to school) pretty handily,” a scout said.
Scout’s take: “I think he’s a pitcher, if I actually had to put something on him.”
Odds of reaching campus: High
Luke Tucker, INF
School: Krum High
Hometown: Krum, Texas
Ht/Wt: 6-4, 210 pounds
Draft rankings: N/A
Breakdown: Tucker is a power-hitting infielder whose future likely will be at first or third base. He played shortstop in high school, but his size likely limits him to a corner infield spot.
At the plate, Tucker has a smooth swing, but he’s raw and didn’t face great competition in high school.
“He’s got some feel to hit,” one scout said. “It was a tough evaluation because he’s facing guys throwing 82 mph every day.”
The scout also noted LSU’s strength and conditioning staff could further his development if he made it to school.
“He’s a thicker kid. He needs to get in the weight room and trim himself down a little bit,” the scout said. “I think when he does, he’ll just naturally have more bat speed because it’s not the fastest bat.”
Tucker isn’t expected to be selected in the first two rounds, but the same scout said that he wants to sign with an MLB team. If he did end up at LSU, the scout could see him redshirting as a freshman.
”He’s already thrown out like a million (dollars),” the scout said. “And if kids are starting at a million, they’ll come down to half a million, probably. In the grand scheme of things, that’s not a ton of money.
“I think there’s only like two or three teams that would do it, but the teams that would do it, it’s not crazy money that he’s asking for. So I think there’s a decent chance that he’s gone.”
Scout’s take: “There’s a world where he ends up being your third baseman in two years, and he’s a good player. But I think the kid wants to go play.”
Odds of reaching campus: Less than 50%
Masen Belding, C
School: Del Oro High
Hometown: Grass Valley, California
Ht/Wt: 6-2, 215 pounds
Rankings: N/A
Breakdown: Belding is a big catcher with the potential to be an impact power hitter in college, but he has work to do defensively to stick behind the plate. One scout believes his future position is first base.
“He kind of fits in that Omar Serna, (Cade) Arrambide mold,” the scout said. “He can throw, and he has really good offensive tools, but the actual overall catching needs a lot of work.”
Belding is likely to make it to campus, but his playing time in Year 1 could be limited as he’d be fighting for reps with Serna, Arrambide and Eddie Yamin. But his bat does make him an intriguing option for the Tigers whenever the three veterans ahead of him move on to professional baseball.
“You’re hoping, and you’re squinting really hard, that this is kind of the mold of a Chase Fralick,” the scout said. “Like a left-handed hitting, not a great body, offense over everything catcher. And then when he gets hot, it looks like a really good offensive player, but you can’t catch him all the time.”
Scout’s take: “Not a super sexy profile. He has an agent that I think would allow him to sign for a little bit of money, but I don’t know if enough people care for him.”
Odds of reaching campus: High
Dylan Minnatee, 1B
School: Franklin High
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Ht/Wt: 6-0, 195 pounds
Draft rankings: N/A
Breakdown: Minnatee is a contact-oriented first baseman who, as a left-handed hitter, lacks power and positional versatility.
One scout does not believe he has the agility and speed to play in the outfield.
“You love what Tre Morgan did, and you think that this guy is the next one,” the scout said. “It’s a first baseman with an unreal hit tool. But I think Tre Morgan is an anomaly, and you shouldn’t look for Tre Morgans.”
Minnatee isn’t expected to be taken in the draft and will likely end up at LSU. Finding early playing time could be a challenge with Mason Braun returning for his sophomore year.
Scout’s take: “You’re hoping that Minnatee becomes a Braun, this undersized first baseman, and all he does is hit. But if he hits .240, he’s nothing. And if he hits .260 it’s probably a nothing because he just doesn’t have a lot of power. Braun is also way stronger. He’s like a muscle hamster who just hits the ball on the ground.”
Odds of reaching campus: High
