Tigers in the field

As the 2026 baseball season approaches, the Tigers have to replace half of their everyday starters.

The outfield is the only position group where the starters are already clear. You have Derek Curiel making the move from LF to CF, Chris Stanfield moving from CF to LF, and Jake Brown locking down RF. These three might be the best outfielders in the SEC—and probably the country. They possess pure speed and should be able to run down baseballs hit in the gap all year long, taking away extra-base hits.

The infield is where you find a handful of question marks. I believe SS, catcher, and first base are locked down. The Tigers' everyday SS will be Steven Milam, who was fantastic last year, committing only five errors all season. Catcher will be Cade Arrambide, who, in Coach Jay Johnson’s words, was the best player this fall. I’m looking forward to seeing Arrambide take a big step forward this season. First base will be transfer player Zach Yorke. He was a big-time pickup for Coach Johnson this past portal cycle and comes in rocking a .993 fielding percentage. He should be another rock for the Tigers at first all year.

Now we have the two positions that I believe the Tigers will be rotating early in the year to find the best fits. Let’s talk third base first. I believe Trent Caraway is going to get the first crack at third. He is transferring in from Oregon State and was the regional MVP for the Beavers. He did struggle in the field last year with a .889 fielding percentage and a total of 12 errors. Coach Johnson will work with him to clean up those errors and improve his defense—think about how much improvement Tommy White made during his time in Baton Rouge.

The next guy is another transfer portal player, Brayden Simpson from High Point. Simpson also recorded 12 errors last year but had a much better fielding percentage at .951. The third player is returner "Big John" Pearson. Pearson didn’t have many opportunities in the field last year, but I know Coach Johnson has been working hard with Pearson to lose a little weight and get more nimble to help with his defense. Look for Pearson to get a shot; he had a great summer league.

Second base is the other position to watch. You have a handful of guys fighting for this spot as well. Tanner Reaves is a returning player from the 2025 Tigers. He played a lot of third base last year, but his natural position is second. I believe he is in the best position to start Day 1 because his defense is better than the others. Player number two is a transfer from Kansas, Seth Dardar. Dardar is known more for his bat than his glove. He arrives with a .943 fielding percentage but made a big jump last year, raising his percentage almost .100 points. He committed 12 errors his sophomore year but only five his junior year. Let’s see if he can cut those down again and take over at second for your Fighting Tigers.

Other players to look for this year:

• Daniel Harden (Outfield)

• Omar Serna Jr. (Catcher)

• Ethan Clauss (2nd or 3rd Base)

Replicating last year’s defense, which had a .981 fielding percentage, won’t happen overnight. But I trust Coach Johnson and this staff to get them to their best come June.

GEAUX TIGERS!