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MLB.com projects LSU's ace No. 1 pick in latest mock draft

On3 imageby:Matthew Brune•about 15 hours•

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Kade Anderson LSU
Kade Anderson LSU

As LSU’s Kade Anderson prepares for his chance to start against West Virginia in the Super Regional round this weekend, MLB.com wasted no time placing Anderson as the top player in this year’s draft class.

LSU’s ace left-handed pitcher has always been a top five talent, but now Jonathan Mayo has moved Anderson from the No. 3 pick to the No. 1 overall pick as scouts and evaluators continue to rave about his quality.

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“Anderson heads into Super Regional play second behind Tennessee’s Liam Doyle in strikeouts among all Division I pitchers and is coming off a Regional start in which he tossed seven shutout innings, striking out 11 while allowing just four hits and two walks. The lefty is athletic, throws strikes and has a legit four-pitch mix. With all of his stuff ticking up in the Regional, it looks like he still has plenty in the tank, checking off the durability box. Oh, he’ll also have just turned 21 before the Draft as a sophomore-eligible prospect.”

Anderson has continued to shine throughout the season and hopes to keep the high-level performances coming to help get his team to Omaha for the College World Series. He was excellent in his lone appearance in LSU’s regional round, getting the win over Dallas Baptist and continues to wow with his stuff.

“And Kade, as Kade has been all year, was the best pitcher on the planet tonight. And executed at a high level,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said after the win over DBU.

The scouts continue to rave about the combinations from Anderson and he still has room to grow as a young pitcher who has added pitches to his toolbox in the past year. While there’s still a ways before the MLB Draft on July 13-14, it seems LSU’s dynamic lefty has only gained more traction.

Anderson was voted SEC Pitcher of the Week after fired a complete-game shutout on April 3 in LSU’s 2-0 win over No. 9 Oklahoma. He limited the Sooners to five hits in 9.0 innings while recording two walks and a career-best 14 strikeouts.

“He has had the higher miss rate … and evaluators believe he has a better delivery,” MLB Pipeline’s Jonathan Mayo wrote of Anderson this week. “The combination of those two things … give some a feeling that Anderson has better long-term starter projection.”

The No. 1 pick this year goes to the Nationals who selected LSU star Dylan Crews two years ago. Another former LSU pitcher also has seen sustained success early in his career, as Paul Skenes has been one of the best arms in the NL, despite his team’s struggles. Can Anderson follow in his footsteps and take his career to the next level?

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