Los Angeles Angels select LSU RHP Chase Shores in 2025 MLB Draft

LSU has almost built a tradition of pitchers getting selected in the MLB Draft after a national championship under Jay Johnson. One of their guys, Kade Anderson, is already off the board. Chase Shores is next up, getting picked by the Los Angeles Angels.

Shores is the No. 47 overall pick of the second round. A college right-hander with a lot of potential, TEAM is hoping they are able to get the most out of the LSU product.

With Anderson manning Friday nights in Baton Rouge, Shores originally followed him. However, Johnson moved Shores to the bullpen after nine starts. A previous Tommy John surgery was taken into consideration but more than anything, Johnson was attempting to get positive results from Shores.

Well, mission accomplished. The 5.09 ERA may not look great over 62.2 innings pitched. He became a decent piece for LSU though, especially in the postseason. Little Rock and Arkansas did get to him for a combined seven runs over two appearances. Everyone else struggled, putting together 6.1 innings of scoreless ball.

Long-term, Shores still figures to be a starting pitcher at the next level. Johnson was just not in a position to let him extend too much after having a major surgery on his elbow.

What MLB Draft analysts are saying about LSU pitcher Chase Shores

MLB.com put together a scouting report on Shores ahead of the draft. On an 80-grade scale, they had the LSU pitcher as a 45 overall, the area Baseball America describes as “fringe-average.” Back to MLB.com — they consider Shores’ fastball his best pitch, coming in graded at 65. However, the control is at 45.

“Shores can hit 101 mph and works at 94-98 with his fastball, but his heater is featuring less armside run and overpowering hitters less than it did in the past,” the scouting report said. “While his mid-80s slider has good depth and has been his most reliable pitch in 2025, he doesn’t always land it for strikes or get many chases with it. He actually trusted his fading upper-80s changeup more than his slider as a freshman, though it has been getting hammered this year.”

Ultimately, they believe there is potential in Shores. Even though he was not selected in the first round, MLB.com says the talent is right up there with guys who were. But the goal moving forward will be to work on the control in order to reach full potential.