LSU catcher Brady Neal hit the transfer portal on Monday, leaving the Tigers with a hole behind the plate. Neal’s .578 slugging percentage ranked third on LSU this year with his nine homers ranking fourth. The LSU defense was among the best in the SEC at preventing steals. Neal was part of that, throwing out six runners on the year.
Neal was one of the top recruits in the class of 2022. An injury cut his 2023 short but he took a step forward in 2024. He’ll be a coveted portal piece with not many catchers able to swing the bat at his level.
The departure begs the question of who LSU will turn to in 2025. Neal isn’t the only loss, with Alex Milazzo and Hayden Travinski exhausting their eligibility.
The Tigers have talented options, some already in the building with a few on the way. Today, we’ll take an early look at how LSU will replace Neal.
Transfer season is far from over and LSU doesn’t have a ton of experience at catcher, so we could see Jay Johnson move to add another. But even if LSU rolls with this group, the Tigers are in an OK spot.
Priester originally signed with LSU before opting to play a year at the JUCO ranks. With Neal gone, he’s set to be the only full-time catcher on LSU’s roster.
Originally from Denham Springs, Priester hit .357 in 42 games at Meridian Community College in 2024. He homered 10 times and stole seven bases too.
He’s got talent and those are good numbers, but he’ll have to prove it again in the SEC. With Priester, the biggest upgrade could be on the defensive side. LSU will likely count on him to slide behind the plate and manage a new pitching staff.
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LSU’s top offensive portal addition thus far is Indiana State’s Luis Hernandez.
Hernandez crushed with Indiana State in 2024, slugging .694 along with 23 home runs. He was often ISU’s DH the last couple of years, but he’s proven as a catcher too, making 27 starts in 2022. Hernandez would be one of the best hitting catchers in the SEC and if this is what it takes to get the best nine players on the field, you can’t…
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