Death by a Thousand Cuts or Power Surge? The 2026 LSU Offensive Outlook

Manage the Zone

Coach Jay Johnson’s philosophy is basically mental warfare. They call it "managing the zone," but really, it’s just LSU batters standing there, refusing to swing at bad pitches until you’re forced to throw a middle-middle fastball. The approach that Coach Johnson implements helps the Tigers get plenty of walks, hit-by-pitches, and hits.

The Everyday Players

• Derek Curiel: Curiel’s strike-zone awareness was elite as a freshman; he laid off anything that he couldn’t hit hard. This awareness helped him lead the team with a .470 on-base percentage and a .345 batting average. Curiel has bulked up this offseason, so look for him to hit more HRs this year.

• Steven Milam: Milam is a switch-hitter who has elite plate discipline. In his two years at LSU, he has fewer strikeouts than walks. While he had a down year in the regular season, he really picked it up in the postseason. Look for Milam to continue to be a clutch hitter and come up big when the Tigers need him to.

• Jake Brown: Last year, Brown started the season in a rotation with a couple of other players. By the end of the year, he showed everyone why he should be an everyday player. Brown ended the year with a .320 batting average, 8 HRs, 9 doubles, and 2 triples. Now that he will be playing every day, look for Brown to continue his upward trajectory. I expect a big uptick in his power numbers—look for him to hit 15–20 long balls this year.

Transfer Merchants

• Zach Yorke: Zach was one of the biggest portal gets this year for Coach Johnson. Besides being a great first baseman, he is an elite hitter with an incredible eye at the plate. He had 37 walks and only 28 strikeouts last year while boasting a .339 batting average with 13 HRs. Watch out for Zach this year; I expect his home run totals to go up under the elite coaching of Jay Johnson. I expect him to also hit 15–20 HRs for the Tigers.

• Trent Caraway: Trent is a very interesting player to me. He has all the tools the MLB wants and has been a highly ranked prospect. Things haven't quite clicked yet, but expect Coach Johnson to have Caraway trending in the right direction. I expect his batting average to take a big jump after he posted a .268 last year with 12 HRs. With Johnson’s coaching, I would expect Caraway to be closer to a .300 hitter and more disciplined at the plate.

• Brayden Simpson: Simpson has been a great college hitter to this point in his career. He posted a .389 batting average last year with 22 HRs. I expect Simpson to get a lot of at-bats this year and think he could be a vital part of this 2026 lineup.

Freshman Power

I don’t have a lot to break down regarding the freshmen yet, but I do think some of these young guys will get some big hits this year. There is a lot of raw potential in this class. Names I would watch for early opportunities include:

• Mason Braun

• Omar Serna Jr.

• Jack Ruckert

Will the 2026 Tigers offense be "death by a thousand cuts" like the 2025 team, or will they have more power like the 2023 team? Only time will tell, but this offense will be fun to watch.

GEAUX TIGERS! 🐅