Which LSU baseball signees from No. 1 recruiting class leave, stay after 2022 MLB Draft?

BATON ROUGE - LSU baseball concluded the 2022 recruiting cycle with the No. 1 class in the nation, according to Perfect Game.

It was an impressive feat for coach Jay Johnson, who assembled the class before he had ever coached a game at LSU.

But, with the MLB Draft starting on Sunday, the distinction serves as a double-edged sword.

Yes, Johnson has the recruiting chops to attract top talent to LSU. But how valuable is that when a large handful, if not a majority, of those players will head straight to professional baseball and never step foot in Baton Rouge?

That's the conundrum the Tigers find themselves in as their young prospects debate whether six- and seven-figure signing bonuses outweigh their opportunity to play at LSU.

Here's a look at which LSU signees are likely to go to MLB and skip their chances of wearing the purple and gold, and which ones could become Tigers.

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LSU baseball signees likely to sign with an MLB team

Johnson predicted last month that there are four signees he believes will turn pro, and five or six others who could do the same.

Of the four most likely to sign, the two most obvious candidates are outfielder Justin Crawford and left-handed pitcher Robby Snelling, both projected first-round picks.

Crawford, the son of former MLB outfielder Carl Crawford, is a top 25 overall prospect for The Athletic's Keith Law, MLB.com and Kiley McDaniel's ESPN rankings. Snelling is the No. 1 pitcher from Nevada, according to Perfect Game's high school rankings and a consensus top 35 draft prospect.

The other two players are not as easy to identify, but it would be a surprise if third baseman Tucker Toman or catcher Brady Neal are at LSU next spring.

Toman was the No. 17 prospect in Perfect Game's rankings and the No. 15 player in McDaniel's rankings, while Neal is a younger player — which in the eyes of many MLB teams is a major plus — who reclassified from the Class of 2023 and doesn't turn 18 until October.

As for the rest of the potential signees, right-handed pitcher Jacob Misiorowski may be the most interesting one to monitor.

Misiorowski, an ace from the junior college ranks, has a fastball that consistently sits in the upper 90s and is a consensus top 100 prospect. He was the No. 2 player in Missouri out of high school, according to Prep Baseball Report. But the pandemic in 2020 and an injury last season had him under the radar of many MLB clubs until this year when he broke out with the third most strikeouts in the NJCAA.

At 20, Misiorowski could be an immediate contributor to LSU, and he would still be eligible to enter the 2023 draft. But given his talent and rising status, will he be able to resist a hefty signing bonus?

The same question applies to shortstop Mikey Romero, catcher Jared Jones, right-handed pitcher Chase Shores and left-handed pitcher Michael Kennedy. Romero is a California prospect and the No. 40 player in Law's rankings and Jones is No. 57 prospect; Shores was the No. 24 high school prospect in Perfect Game's rankings and Kennedy is in the top 100 of MLB.com's list.

LSU baseball signees who could come to Baton Rouge

One signee who has already guaranteed his commitment to LSU is outfielder Paxton Kling, the No. 51 prospect in Law's rankings. Before Kling announced his decision Wednesday to drop out of the draft, Law and McDaniel expected he would be difficult for MLB teams to sign.

McDaniel reported the same sentiment about right-handed pitcher Jaden Noot, a top 100 prospect in his rankings. Noot is No. 79 in MLB.com's list and was the No. 1 right-handed pitcher in California, according to Perfect Game. In an interview on After Further Review, McDaniel also expects that shortstop Gavin Guidry, the No. 1 player in Louisiana, also according to Perfect Game, likely will attend LSU.

Catcher Ethan Frey, right-handed pitcher Aiden Moffett and right-handed pitcher Micah Bucknam are all in the top 270 of McDaniel's draft rankings. They are more likely to find themselves in Baton Rouge this spring.

Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser and the USA TODAY Sports South Region. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU baseball 2022 MLB Draft preview: Signees who could leave, stay