LSU Baseball Position Preview: Designated Hitter

By Hunt Palmer

Baseball season is rapidly approaching. Jay Johnson’s 2025 team is ranked in the top five no matter where you look. The incoming portal class was ranked No. 1 by multiple outlets, and the freshman class earned that honor as well.

The force that was a 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation is gone, and so is the thunderous bat of Tommy White. But some familiar faces return as well, and, as usual, the anticipation around the program is ratcheted up this time of year.

Let’s finish a look around the roster for this 2025 LSU baseball team with designated hitter.

WHO’S GONE: Hayden Travinski (Graduation)

WHO’S BACK: Josh Pearson, Ethan Frey, Ashton Larson

WHO’S NEW: Tanner Reaves (Transfer, Blinn College), Blaise Priester (Transfer: Meridian Community College), Cade Arrambide (Freshman)

Every player listed above is going to start somewhere defensively over the course of 56 games. We’re working off of some assumptions here.

I think Luis Hernandez is the starting catcher. If Arrambide is catching, he’s a strong designated hitter option. But he’s not listed here because he’s in my projected starting lineup.

That lineup includes Jared Jones, Daniel Dickinson, Steven Milam, Michael Braswell, Derek Curiel, Chris Stanfield and Jake Brown. Six players remain that I think could be legitimate factors on this team. That could be at designated hitter or in the starting lineup.

There’s a good blend of righties and lefties here.

Pearson, Larson and Reaves hit left-handed. Frey, Priester and Arrambide are right-handed. Pearson has seen the toughest arms in the country. Priester and Reaves have mashed with some power in junior college. Arrambide was thought of as a first or second round selection as a senior in high school, and Frey has hit the ball hard at times in two injury-riddled seasons.

HUNT’S TAKE: I just recall Pearson playing sparingly over the first month of the 2023 season, his sophomore year. Then LSU went to College Station for the SEC opener, and he was in there. In Omaha, he was in there.

Pearson isn’t going to hit .365 this year. But he’s never going to be overmatched, and the staff truly trusts him. I think he’ll play on Opening Day. I think he’ll play a lot.

Priester’s pop is intriguing, but that’s kind of his only tool at the moment. And it’s the toughest one to translate from one level to another. Speed, defense and arm never fail to translate, and power often results in swings and misses which completely neuters hitting. My prediction for him is light playing time that could dissipate when SEC play fires up. I feel the same way about Frey.

Reaves and Larson feel like bats that can really help. If someone goes down on the infield, Reaves is probably the next man up. Larson may start Opening Day, but he’ll definitely play.

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