New York Yankees select LSU LHP Griffin Herring in 2024 MLB Draft

Another LSU Tiger is heading to the big leagues. Tigers left-handed pitcher Griffin Herring has been selected by the New York Yankees in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

In his two seasons at LSU, Herring has been almost exclusively utilized from the bullpen. In his time in Baton Rouge, LA, with the Tigers, he has appeared in 39 games but only has one start under his belt.

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Herring waves goodbye to his collegiate career with an 11-3 record and a 2.66 era. His last season at LSU was arguably his best one, as he finished the year 6-1 with a 1.79 ERA. But that is not all the lefty out of the bullpen accomplished. Herring faced a grand total of 201 batters, putting in 50.1 innings of work over a 21-game span in 2024. He would give up 39 hits, 13 runs, and 10 earned runs, with two home runs to go along with 13 walks and 67 strikeouts. He did have a little bit of trouble with his accuracy as he was credited with five wild pitches and 1 batter hit by pitch last year.

What experts are saying about Herring

The scouts at MLB.com have Herring rated as the No. 157 prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft. The former LSU left-handed pitcher has tremendous upside, given that he is coming off of just his sophomore season. Still, he has plenty to work on, especially in the mechanics department.

“As a freshman, Herring was one of the unsung heroes of Louisiana State’s 2023 national championship, working 4 2/3 innings in relief to win an elimination game in the College World Series semifinals,” said MLB.com. “He has been the Tigers’ best bullpen option as a Draft-eligible sophomore this spring and too valuable in that role to get a shot in the rotation. Scouts believe he has the ingredients to succeed as a starter in pro ball.”

“Herring’s money pitch is a sweeping mid-80s slider with horizontal and vertical action that eats up both left-handers and right-handers. His fastball operates at 91-92 mph and maxes out at 94 with some armside run, though it doesn’t have enough velocity or life to just throw it by hitters. There’s still room to add strength to his 6-foot-2 frame so he could throw harder in the future.”

“Herring’s delivery isn’t the smoothest, and his arm action is long, but that hasn’t prevented him from significantly improving his strike-throwing in his second college season. To make it as a starter, he’ll need to develop better feel for a too-firm changeup that he almost never uses. His slider and competitive edge could allow him to fill a high-leverage role in a big-league bullpen.”