Best MLB players from LSU ranked, from Paul Skenes and Alex Bregman to DJ LeMahieu

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Very few college baseball programs have historically produced future MLB stars quite like LSU.

While the Tigers' seven College World Series titles are easy to point to when discussing the program's success, there are also plenty of individual players who have gone on to earn high honors at the next level. LSU has become a destination spot for top-end baseball talent, boasting prospects who often go on to be top MLB Draft selections.

In fact, a total of 88 players from LSU have gone on to reach MLB, including 23 first-round picks. There's a significant collection of current and former baseball stars who once played for the Tigers.

📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

Primarily factoring in their performance and honors while in MLB, while also considering their potential for future accolades, The Sporting News ranks the 10 best players to play college baseball for LSU, including current stars Alex Bregman and Paul Skenes.

Why he's ranked 10th: While Lee played in a much earlier era of baseball, with his 14-year MLB career being played in the 1930s and 40s, he gets the nod over some honorable mentions like Paul Byrd, Jason Vargas, Aaron Hill, and Todd Walker. Lee spent just one season at LSU, but he later went on to accumulate 169 wins over his MLB career, which was primarily spent with the Cubs.

He led the National League in shutouts on two occasions, ranks within the top 200 in MLB history in both wins and innings pitched, and he had a career WAR of 32.5, per Baseball Reference. Lee's long, successful career was enough to make this list, even if he spent a limited time with the Tigers and played in MLB before it really hit the modern era.

MLB accolades: 3x All-Star, 1x World Series champion, 172 saves, 24-25 record, 3.30 ERA, 407 strikeouts

LSU accolades (2001-03): 18-10 record, five saves in 51 appearances

Why he's ranked ninth: The only reliever on this list, Wilson became one of MLB's best closers in the late 2000s. In 2008, he broke through with the Giants as an elite closer, recording 41 saves. He would total over 30 saves in each of the next three seasons while racking up three All-Star selections.

While his MLB career didn't last as long as some others on this list, Wilson was one of baseball's best at his position during his peak. He even earned some down-the-ballot Cy Young votes in 2010, the same year he won a World Series with San Francisco. Wilson's time with the Tigers wasn't quite elite, but after being a 24th-round pick and undergoing Tommy John surgery, he became a success story as one of the best relievers in Giants history.

MLB accolades: 1x All-Star, 2024 NL Rookie of the Year, 15-9 record, 1.93 ERA, 262 strikeouts

LSU accolades (2023): 2023 Dick Howser Trophy Winner, 2023 National Player of the Year (D1 Baseball and Collegiate Baseball), 2023 Consensus First-Team All-American, 2023 College World Series Most Outstanding Player, 2023 SEC Pitcher of the Year, 2023 national championship, 13-2 record, 1.69 ERA, 209 strikeouts (single-season LSU record),

Why he's ranked eighth: There's a pretty good chance that Skenes will skyrocket up this list in the coming years. The now-Pirate has had one of the greatest starts to an MLB career for any pitcher ever, going from the 2023 No. 1 overall pick to an NL Cy Young candidate as a rookie in 2024. Skenes, who transferred to LSU for one season after two years at Air Force, is one of the few true aces in MLB as of 2025.

Skenes ran away with the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year with a dominant campaign, even starting in the All-Star game for the National League, and he's only gotten better since. For now, Skenes ranks a bit lower due to his MLB career being brief, limiting his accolades, but if he continues to mow through opposing lineups at his current rate, he could threaten for the No. 1 spot on this list.

MLB accolades: 3x All-Star, 4x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger, 2x batting champion, 1,756 hits, 1126 HRs, 890 runs, 660 RBIs

LSU accolades (2008-09): 2008 Louisiana Freshman of the Year, 2008 NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team, 2009 College World Series All-Tournament Team, 2009 national championship, 183 hits, 11 HRs, 87 RBIs

Why he's ranked seventh: LeMahieu, now a 15-year MLB veteran, has been one of the most consistent infielders in the game for some time. He became an everyday player with the Rockies in the early 2010s, breaking through in 2015 with his first All-Star selection. In 2016, he won his first of two batting titles by hitting .348 across 146 games. In 2020, then with the Yankees, LeMahieu hit .364 to win another batting title.

LeMahieu was also a standout player for the Tigers in his two seasons in Baton Rouge, playing a big role on their 2009 title-winning squad. Between his long MLB career, some elite-level seasons as a hitter, four Gold Glove awards, and his importance to LSU baseball history, LeMaheiu is one of the best position players to ever wear a Tigers uniform.

MLB accolades: 2x All-Star, 107-106 record, 3.84 ERA, 1,838 strikeouts

LSU accolades (2011-12): 2012 First-Team All-American (Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game), 2012 Second-Team All-American (Baseball America and NCBWA), 2012 First-Team All-SEC, 2012 Louisiana Pitcher of the Year, 2012 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional All-Tournament Team, 12-2 record, 3.06 ERA, 221 strikeouts

Why he's ranked sixth: Gausman has been one of the steadiest starting pitchers in MLB throughout his active career. He wasn't quite as effective as a young pitcher with the Orioles, but in 2016, he racked up 174 strikeouts and a 3.61 ERA in over 170 innings. From there, Gausman has mostly been good for a sub-4.00 ERA and plenty of punchouts each season.

Gausman made the jump to elite after joining the Giants in 2020, then the Blue Jays in 2022. A two-time All-Star who's received down-the-ballot Cy Young votes, Gausman has aged well as he now approaches his late 30s, helping his case as one of LSU's best all-time MLB players. The former No. 4 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft has gone on to have a long, steady career as a good-to-great starting pitcher.

MLB accolades: 1x All-Star, 105-86 record, 3.78 ERA, 1,831 strikeouts

LSU accolades (2012-14): No. 1 pick in 2014 MLB Draft, 2014 National Pitcher of the Year (College Baseball Foundation), 2013 and 2014 First-Team All-American (Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, ABCA, Perfect Game, NCBWA), 2013 and 2014 SEC Pitcher of the Year, 2014 Louisiana Pitcher of the Year, 30-6 record, 2.09 ERA, 344 strikeouts

Why he's ranked fifth: Nola and Gausman have similar numbers across their respective MLB careers, but Nola gets the slight bump for a few reasons. For one, he was one of the better starters in the league from the start of his career, unlike Gausman. Nola has also been a model of consistency ever since. While he's only been recognized as an All-Star once, he's had two top-five Cy Young finishes (2018, 2022) and notched five 200-strikeout seasons.

While previous accomplishments are the main criteria here, it's also worth mentioning that Nola is two years younger than Gausman, giving him room to add more numbers, and he has contributed to a team that reached the World Series. Add in the fact that Nola had one of the greatest LSU pitching careers in history before becoming the No. 1 pick, and the longtime Phillie is the highest-ranked pitcher on this list.

Why he's ranked fourth: A fun fact about Adcock is that when he joined LSU's baseball team for his lone season, it was the first organized baseball games of his life after he had initially joined the school's basketball squad. Adcock then went on to have a highly successful 17-year MLB career, hitting 336 home runs, the second-most of any LSU alum, while also winning the 1957 World Series with the Milwaukee Braves.

Even if his time at LSU was brief, Adcock had an outstanding career in the pros between four franchises. He was later inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame after being one of baseball's top sluggers in the 1950s and 60s.

MLB accolades: 3x All-Star, 1948 Rookie of the Year, 1x World Series champion, 2,089 hits, 126 HRs, 1,064 runs, 757 RBIs

LSU accolades (1943): LSU Athletic Hall of Fame, 1943 SEC championship

Why he's ranked third: Dark played both baseball and football while at LSU, but he wound up pursuing baseball in the pros. Over his 14 MLB seasons, Dark was an outstanding pure hitter, accumulating 2,089 hits -- the most of any LSU alum all-time. Dark was selected for three All-Star games and won the 1954 World Series with the New York Giants.

Dark later became an MLB manager, winning a World Series with the Athletics in 1974, but it's his long career as an elite hitter that earns him the third spot on this list. He even earned some Baseball Hall of Fame consideration from 1966-80, getting as high as 18.5 percent of the vote.

MLB accolades: 2x All-Star, 1x Gold Glove, 1x Silver Slugger, 2x World Series champion, 1x All-Star Game MVP, 1,191 hits, 202 HRs, 726 runs, 698 RBIs

LSU accolades (2013-15): 2015 First-Team All-American (Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America, D1 Baseball), 2015 First-Team All-SEC, 2015 SEC All-Defensive Team, 2015 Louisiana Player of the Year, 2014 Second-Team All-SEC, 2014 NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team, 2013 National Freshman of the Year (Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America, NCBWA), 2013 First-Team All-American (Baseball America, ABCA, Perfect Game), 265 hits, 21 HRs, 148 RBIs

Why he's ranked second: Both at LSU and in the majors, Bregman has stood out on an individual and team level. Soon after joining the Astros as a rookie in 2016, he became one of the best third basemen in the league on both sides of the ball, earning two All-Star selections in Houston. Bregman's bat and glove were also major pieces on the Astros' 2017 and 2022 title squads.

Bregman was an all-time-level Tiger after his decorated three-year run with the program, resulting in him becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft. After very quickly ascending through the minor leagues, he's become one of baseball's most consistent stars. The combination of star-level production, counting stats, team success, and two-way impact gives Bregman the No. 2 spot on the list. With him also still being 31, he should continue to rack up strong numbers after joining the Red Sox.

MLB accolades: 5x All-Star, 5x Silver Slugger, 1995 Major League Player of the Year, 1,726 hits, 381 HRs, 974 runs, 1,239 RBIs

LSU accolades (1985-87): Led team to first CWS appearance, set career records for RBIs and HRs, 1986 Baseball America Second-Team All-American, 1987 First-Team All-SEC, 1986 Second-Team All-SEC, 1987 NCAA HR leader, 1986 All-SEC Tournament Team, 194 hits, 49 HRs, 172 RBIs

Why he's ranked first: Belle, by far, has the most MLB home runs (381), RBIs (1,239), and All-Star selections (5) of any LSU alum. He was one of baseball's most feared sluggers for around a decade, even hitting 50 long balls in 1995 for Cleveland, and he finished on the verge of MVP awards on multiple occasions. While LSU has had some elite future MLB players come through its program, Belle's dominance in the 1990s is arguably a peak no other former Tiger has reached.

Known as Joey Belle while he played at LSU, he became one of the best players in the country with a rare combination of a high batting average with major power. That directly transferred to the big leagues, as in 1999, he became the fourth player at the time to notch 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in eight straight MLB seasons. Injuries ended Belle's MLB career by age 34, but if he had played a few more years, he likely would have joined the coveted 500-home run club. While his career wasn't as long as some others, Belle was on a Hall of Fame trajectory for around a decade.