THIRD BASE

1) Josh Smith Fr. 5’10 178lbs (4)*
2) Chris Reid So. 5’9 187lbs (17)
3) Jake Slaughter Fr. 6'2 197lbs (5)
4) Nick Coomes Jr. 5’11 196lbs (13)

Josh Smith, the other heralded freshman, took almost no time in securing an infield position and in specific third base. In 2016 third base had 5 different players start, the highest in the lineup, it's a spot which could use some stability. Behind Josh there's much competition with Chris Reid, Nick Coomes, and even Jake Slaughter at times.

Josh Smith may be the most refined freshman to start in LSU's lineup since Alex Bregman ‘13. Smith a four year starter at Catholic HS in Baton Rouge has excelled at every level of competition he’s faced to date and on ESPN they'll call him “scrappy, a gamer, a grinder”, while it’s true and I hate using these overused phrases it bears merit to this particular situation. A 38th round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers, Josh Smith is the other freshman opposite of Jake Slaughter in the infield who also played and started in the collegiate summer league last July. What’s remarkable is the manner Smith struggled in his first 3-4 games, nothing surprising seeing freshman become introduced to the next echelon of competition. What surprised me in Smith’s case was how quick and effective Josh made adjustments and in turn found his comfort zone then propelling him to lead his team in batting average and stolen bases. Josh is another line drive approach hitter from the left side of the plate who has a very fluid/compact swing allowing him to stay back on the ball. Josh at times can tend to get off balance with his front toe tap but this can be easily be fixed. Smith doesn’t possess above average power to date, he stays mostly between power alleys when he makes solid contact which is everything Mainieri is looking for at this point in his career. In the batting order he's been all over the place getting work at the leadoff spot as well as the 6-7 hole and also could be a plug and play guy at 9 hole which Freeman was so ever dangerous a year ago and gave opposing team fits at the end of the order. Speed is above average, he has great footwork which makes up for lack of straight line speed and that will allow him to take 10-15 stolen bases this spring if I had to put a number on it. Josh is a natural shortstop who has an above average glove at the collegiate ranks and an outstanding arm which will not limit him this year, he’ll stick to 3B/SS his entire career while at LSU. No doubt his glove and comfort for the position is what landed him the job but don't sleep on his bat this year I'm projecting him sitting around 0.300 all year.

Chris Reid who I have backing up both first, second, and third base will do just that on opening night. A starter mid-way through the 2016 season Chris did a remarkable job steadying the hot corner and providing stability once the Trey Dawson experiment became apparent it was a temporary one. Chris doesn’t have any particular tool that’s above average but ever elite team that makes it to Omaha needs a smart and unselfish player who can step into play any given night and not lose productively. Reid fits this bill for me and he will get his fair share of at bats and even platoon with his left handed bat which is valuable in late game situations.

Jake Slaughter who has been taking reps at 3B is also a candidate for this position if the infield ever gets a shuffle.

Nick Coomes who lead LSU-Euince at 3B a season ago can also play catcher and is fighting for the DH spot. Coomes fastest way to the field will be DH which will be a logjam position and of great competition, still he's a veteran who's taken reps at the position. Nick has a great bat with plus power that will be pushing every chance he gets to find a starting gig.

My take: Third base will start to show some balance this year with Smith's play. As much expectation as Josh has surrounding him he's one of the calmest and collected young men on that diamond day in and day out. I look at where he can fit in the lineup...Mainieri can go so many ways with this by although I think to start he'll keep him towards the back end of the order. With Smith you're playing a short stop at the hot corner who will be a pesky out in the order every time he steps up to the plate.

Josh Smith

Power------45
Hitting------55
Speed------60
Fielding----60
Arm---------60

FINAL GRADE: 55

This post was edited on 2/5/17 at 11:03 am

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Posted by Adam4848

Member since Apr 2006

19179 posts

Posted on 2/1/17 at 7:42 am to Adam4848

Left Field - Beau Jordan

Center Field - Antoine Duplantis

Right Field - Greg Deichmann

OUTFIELD

Left Field
1) Beau Jordan Jr. 5'9 202lbs (24)*
2) Brennan Breaux So. 6'0 180lbs (6)

Center Field

1) Antoine Duplantis So. 5'11 179lbs (20)*
2) Zach Watson Fr. 6'0 166lbs (9)

Right Field

1) Greg Deichmann Jr. 6'2 209lbs (7)*
2) Bryce Adams Sr. 6'4 203lbs (44)

The outfield a season ago was as consistent as you can ask for at the collegiate level. Between Beau Jordan, Jake Fraley, and Antoine Duplantis there were 3 errors combined the entire season with Fraley and Duplantis starting all 66 games in center and right field respectively, Jordan started 62 games in left. While the outfield loses its best player from a year ago in Jake Fraley to the Tampa Bay Rays in round 2 of the MLB draft it acquires another exceptional star athlete in Greg Deichmann. The headline this spring is the competition in left field with Beau Jordan and Brennan Breaux. I’ll go over each position in the outfield individually.

Left Field: Besides the 3rd starter in the rotation this is the hottest competition of the spring. Beau Jordan and Brennan Breaux continue to compete for the start opening night, each player’s makeup and tools entirely different than the other. Beau Jordan the returning starter in left is your stocky, well built, hits for average with occasional pop left fielder. Jordan’s power is a tad higher than average where he could sit around the 6-7 HR mark given a full season. While Beau struggled offensively down the stretch a last May he was one of LSU's hottest hitters in the heart of the order who provided the team with some big time plays over the course of the SEC schedule. Beau is more of a pull hitter, great great lower body strength with the ability to jump all over mistake pitches. Speed is a tad higher than average for his frame, he’s the more athletic of the Jordan twins (please don’t tell Bryce this). In the field Beau has continued to make superb plays you sit back and question how he’s even physically able to get to, arm is average for a left fielder. You're getting a reliable left fielder in Jordan with occasional power.

Brennan Breaux is your prototypical left fielder. Quick footed outfielder who will hit for average from the left side and has exceptional speed. Breaux has filled out over the course of a year adding 10lbs and doesn’t look to be losing his first jump or speed on the base paths which is great. Breaux will not hit for power he just doesn’t have it, what’s going to be his calling card is if Mainieri trusts him to hit for average and get on base with consistency. If Breaux is to win this position he’ll be the 9 hole hitter to turn over the lineup ala Cole Freeman a season ago. On the base paths Brennan has great straight line speed and served the team a year ago as the main pinch runner, he’s another one of those above average athletes on this team that will get a green light more times than not at his discretion. Breaux has an above average glove, he gets to balls with ease in left field and has an above average arm.

Beau Jordan

Power------55
Hitting------50
Speed------55
Fielding----55
Arm---------50

Center Field: Antoine Duplantis will simply shift over to center field and fill the void left by Jake Fraley's departure. Let me preface by saying Duplantis is the best outfielder on this team and LSU will once again be spoiled by superb play at the position in the upcoming season. Originating from a track family Antoine is much of the same, his footwork is phenomenal he has the ability to regain tracking on balls he initially misreads off the bat. Antoine is one of the more poised hitters at the plate, he likes to make the pitcher work where he drew the second highest walk total only behind now departed Jake Fraley. His slap hitting approach mimics Mark Laird where he rarely pulls the ball, this approach greatly cuts down on strikeouts and bad plate appearances as seen by his superb walk to strikeout ratio. Duplantis has arguably the best straight line speed from home to first outside of Zach Watson where he will be counted on to do more on the base paths. He’s a guy I legitimately think can steal 20-25 bases during a full season with room for more. Glove is one of the best on the team, his job is to track down fly balls and cut off balls in the gaps and he does this, his arm needs to continue to get stronger as its slightly below average for the position.

Zach Watson who will be backing up Duplantis in centerfield is an exceptional speedster who will one day become another one of LSU’s long line of superb defensive outfielders. Even though I don’t think Watson cracks the lineup this year expect to see Zach plugged in as a pinch runner this year in late game situations.

Antoine Duplantis

Power------40
Hitting------60
Speed------75
Fielding----65
Arm---------45

Right Field: Greg Deichmann has right field locked down and that's great news for this lineup. Serving as the first basemen in 2016 it was evident Mainieri couldn't sit a couple of these advanced freshmen bats and so the shuffle began. As a short stop in high school and infielder in college Greg is another all around built player who made a smooth transition to right where he looks to be getting more comfortable with every practice. With 11 HR's in 2016 Greg not only returns as LSU's leader in home runs but may be the premier power bat in the SEC outside of Jeren Kendall at Vanderbilt. His power is a plus plus tool at the college level and he will without a doubt be centered somewhere in the heart of the order. What MLB teams need to see is Deichmann hit for average and with consistency, if Greg is protected in the order he'll get great opportunities to do just that. Deichmann in this past year has started filling out where he's added 20lbs, it'll lend him more raw power in the box and he's been tediously adding arm strength. Greg still has well above average speed for his build although with this added bulk he's starting to transition himself from a speedy infielder to corner outfielder at the pro level with this his time from home to first won't be as crisp as it once was. Defensively Greg looks great out in right where he's fitting to his position with great pose. Out of the entire outfield Deichmann's is the best where it's above average, at the position this is necessary for when balls need to be relayed to third base.

Bryce Adam's will serve as the backup to LF and RF along with 1B. As one of the largest players on the team it's no surprise his greatest tool is power. I like Bryce this year because he adds much need depth to the outfield as well as a possible pinch hitter who lends power to all fields.

Greg Deichmann

Power------70
Hitting------60
Speed------65
Fielding----55
Arm---------60

My take: Left field is still a competition and could be for quite some time, as the returning starter I'm projecting Beau Jordan in left field for now although it's becoming obvious both will get their fair share in the first three weeks of non conference play. Jordan and Breaux are almost polar opposites in the way they play so Mainieri/Gibbs will have options moving forward in the way they want to balance the lineup. The outfield as a group looks to be a real strength of this team with each player bringing something different to the table. The biggest name of the group is Greg Deichmann who's a legitimate 5 tool player and with another productive season at the plate may be taken in the top 3-4 rounds of this years draft.

FINAL GRADE: 65

This post was edited on 2/8/17 at 9:56 am

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