LSU commit William Schmidt forgoes 2024 MLB Draft, will play for Tigers in 2025

LSU commit William Schmidt had been flirting with the MLB Draft in recent months, but on Sunday evening, just a few hours ahead of the draft, he made baseball fans in Baton Rouge extremely happy. He decided to forgo the 2024 MLB Draft and play next season for the LSU Tigers.

He made the announcement on his Twitter page.

Callin Baton Rouge! Time for another Natty🐅 pic.twitter.com/4ceMRwpMvg

— William Schmidt (@_williamSchmidt) July 14, 2024

Despite being committed to playing for the in-state Tigers, not many expected Schmidt to go down the college baseball path. Considered one of the best arms in the entire MLB Draft, regardless of age, MLB teams definitely showed plenty of interest in him in the past few months. But on Sunday evening, he announced that he wanted to make a run at a national title with the Tigers.

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MaxPreps named Schmidt a first-team All-American and the Louisiana Player of the Year for his senior season performances. In 63.2 innings pitched the year, the right-handed pitcher had a 0.44 ERA and struck out over 100 batters. Incredible numbers throughout a season, even for a first-round pick.

Now, Schmidt’s decision has been made. LSU will be bringing in one of the best arms in the country for the next few seasons, adding to an already-loaded roster. Johnson wants to bounce back after not being able to defend a national championship and has found a way to stack talent.

What MLB scouts are saying about William Schmidt

Schmidt was ranked the No. 16 overall prospect by MLB.com heading into the draft. They provided a full scouting report on the pitcher from the Boot, talking about his elite two pitch arsenal while showcasing a changeup at times — something he might need when graduating from facing high school batters.

“Schmidt can spin his curveball at upwards of 3,000 rpm, and it’s a low-80s hammer that breaks so much that it often fools umpires as well as hitters,” the scouting report said. “He has good command of a fastball that has gained 3 mph this spring, now sitting in the mid-90s and maxing out at 99 mph with carry and arm-side run. He rarely has needed a third pitch but shows some feel for a low-80s changeup with some sink.”

On an 80-grade scale, MLB.com rated Schmidt’s curveball a 70, proving to be a near-elite pitch. The fastball is not too bad either, coming in at a 60. And if he can stay closer to the 99 miles per hour max as discussed, it might need to be a little higher.