BATON ROUGE, La. – Baseball America has rated LSU No. 2 in its Top 10 list of Transfer Portal Classes for the 2027 season.
Eight LSU players appear in Baseball America’s Top 130 list of transfer portal players, including sophomore right-handed pitcher Landon Hood (No. 1), sophomore outfielder Angel Laya (No. 5), junior outfielder Bino Watters (No. 12), sophomore right-handed pitcher Diego Velazquez (No. 28), junior infielder Dawson Park (No. 32), junior right-handed pitcher Kaden Smith (No. 49), junior outfielder Jason Wachs (No. 70) and senior infielder Cade Kurland (No. 126).
The staff at Baseball America writes:
LSU again assembled one of the portal’s deepest collections of talent, giving Jay Johnson a substantial infusion after the Tigers missed the NCAA Tournament in 2026.
The class is led by Baseball America’s top-ranked transfer, former Gonzaga righthander Landon Hood, whose athleticism, strike-throwing and remaining projection give him a chance to assume a prominent role on the staff. Angel Laya, Bino Watters and Jason Wachs add three accomplished outfield bats, while Diego Velazquez and Kaden Smith bring intriguing stuff and considerable upside to the mound.
Dawson Park and Cade Kurland further deepen the position-player group, leaving LSU with another class loaded with immediate contributors and longer-term value.
The 2027 LSU squad is engaging in individual drills and strength training prior to beginning its full-squad fall practice period on Thursday, October 8. The fall session will feature several intra-squad scrimmages through October and November in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
Along with its customary intra-squad scrimmages, LSU will engage in four exhibition games this fall against other schools. The Tigers will play two games versus Samford at Keesler Federal Park in Biloxi, Miss. Game 1 is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, October 31, and first pitch for Game 2 is set for 1 p.m. CT on Sunday, November 1.
LSU will play two of its fall exhibition games at home in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. The Tigers face Troy at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday, November 8, and LSU meets Southeastern Louisiana on Friday, November 13, at a time to be announced.
The Tigers open the 2027 regular season on Friday, February 19, with a doubleheader versus Long Island beginning at 1 p.m. CT in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
Baseball America Top 10 Transfer Portal Classes for 2027 Season
1. Tennessee
2. LSU
3. Texas
4. Mississippi State
5. Georgia
6. South Carolina
7. Vanderbilt
8. Arkansas
9. Florida
10. Georgia Tech