William Schmidt reflects on why he chose LSU over beginning professional career

LSU commit William Schmidt had been flirting with the MLB Draft this summer. However, he ultimately decided to spurn the majors for a career in college first.

Now en route to Baton Rouge with the 2024 MLB Draft in the rearview mirror, Schmidt sat down with Mikie Mahtook on the Mik’d Up podcast to discuss his upcoming career and freshman season at LSU. Of course, Mahtook asked what the decision of choosing to go to college over becoming an immediate pro is like for a teenager like Schmidt, wondering what goes into it.

Schmidt answered that he really fell in love with the Tiger coaching staff.

“A little bit, like, maybe a little mental stuff and some physical stuff. But like, the coaching staff there, I think I ran into the right ones at the right time,” he answered.

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“Like, I love — they’re great, super good, they’re going to put me in the best position that I need to be in 3 years I think,” Schmidt added. “So I’m just super excited to get to work with them and, like, I think they’re going to put me where I need to be, or where I want to be.”

Jay Johnson and the LSU staff certainly left a positive impression on the youngster, as Schmidt is excited to further develop himself as a Tiger while also getting to play in front of a terrific fan base, also competing for national championships in the best baseball conference in America.

For LSU, Schmidt is a touted addition. MaxPreps named the incoming rookie a first-team All-American and the Louisiana Player of the Year for his senior season performances. In 63.2 innings pitched across the year, the right-handed pitcher recorded a 0.44 ERA and struck out more than 100 batters. Those are incredible numbers throughout a season, and would be even for a first-round pick.

Now, Schmidt’s decision has been made. LSU could very well be bringing in one of the best arms in the country for the next few seasons, if he pans out to projection, which only adds to an already-loaded stable of arms. Johnson seems hell-bent on bouncing back after not being able to defend a national championship and has found a way to stack some more talent.

In 2023, of course, LSU won the national championship, riding on the back of Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, who led the Tigers to glory in Omaha for the first time under Jay Johnson.