Jay Johnson evaluates LSU baseball's impressive depth at catcher
The LSU baseball team will be out to defend its national title in 2024, but it’ll do so having to replace a good deal of talent. Luckily that talent won’t be at catcher, where the Tigers return three experienced players.
Veteran Alex Milazzo came through in the clutch last year in the postseason when slugger Hayden Travinski was injured, while Brady Neal provided an awesome young presence behind the dish.
All three are back.
“It was huge. I was really looking at last year, OK, I think we’re going to have two of the three back,” coach Jay Johnson said on the Mik’d Up with Mikie Mahtook podcast. “To get all three, and when that became possible, probably because Alex hurt his leg, Hayden was hurt for a better part of the year.”
Johnson had fully anticipated LSU baseball losing either Travinski or Milazzo.
“I think both of those guys could have probably signed a pro contract,” he said. “For different reasons we were able to get them back. Lot of peace of mind about that.”
The LSU skipper went through what he’s seen from each of his catchers. Listen and you start to get a sense of how flexible LSU baseball might be able to get with its lineup this fall.
All can do something a little different.
“Hayden has a chance to be, in my opinion, one of the better hitters in the entire country if we can keep him healthy,” Johnson said. “Well if we can manage his catching load that gives us a better chance to do that.”
Travinski, injury and all, finished last season hitting .356 in 41 games worth of action. He hit 10 home runs and knocked in 30 RBI.
Neal wasn’t quite as productive behind the plate, but he was a lot younger. And he had some moments that are likely to lead to a major surge in confidence going into the 2024 season.
“Brady, I was so positive about what he was doing last year, we just kept running him out there,” Johnson said. “And he homered off of Hagen Smith and Chase Burns, probably the only player in the country to do that last year. And he was on base all the time, did a great job handling it. Professional at-bats, as a very young player. I think he was only 17 during the season last year. So you want to help him with his offensive load.”
Finally, Milazzo was an excellent defensive replacement for Travinski and LSU baseball in the College World Series. His bat began to heat up at the perfect time too.
“Then Alex, I’m so proud of his offensive development,” Johnson said. “I told the story last night of looking up at the scoreboard in the last game and seeing that he was hitting .289 and in the middle of the biggest game of my life I’m like, ‘That’s big time right there.’ Then he singles to right field and keeps the rally going.”
Though the Tigers won’t have ace Paul Skenes to turn to this fall, they’ll still star a lineup on the mound that is to be feared. Having three capable catchers standing behind the plate can only help.
Johnson reiterated his confidence in the group at catcher.
“All of them are going to play,” he said. “We probably have 12 guys today that are a little bit ahead. All three of them are in those 12 guys. Need to protect them offensively, defensively. Having the versatility to put a different guy back there whenever we need to, what a luxury.”