LSU Baseball Lands Prized Lefty in Transfer Portal originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The LSU Tigers have added another left hander to their pitching staff for next season, gaining a commitment from former Oregon lefty, Santiago Garcia.
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Jay Johnson has been on a recruiting tear since the Tigers won their eighth national title over a week ago. Today, they added their third left handed pitcher of the portal season, Santiago Garcia.
Tigers Head Coach Jay Johnson as the LSU Tigers take on Alabama Baseball in Baton Rouge, LA.Scott Clause / USA Today
Garcia originally committed to Central Arizona Community College where he spent one season. He went 1-1 as a freshman while throwing 23.2 innings with a 3.04 ERA while striking out 38 batters. He entered the portal after his freshman year and transferred to Oregon.
In his lone year with the Ducks, Garcia made 24 appearances and threw 30.0 innings where he posted a 4.20 ERA and struck out 40 batters. However, he was very susceptible to the long ball, giving up seven homers. He entered the portal for the second time in as many seasons after the Ducks’ season ended in their home Regional.
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Garcia gives Nate Yeskie and Jay Johnson a project, but one that has a ton of upside. If they can work on his command (allowed 18 walks in 30 innings last season) and get it under control, he has the tools to be a really good bullpen arm next season.
Garcia also has a unique tie to LSU, having been high school teammates with fellow New Mexico native, Steven Milam, who will be LSU’s starting shortstop again next season.
We’ll see how big of an impact Garcia has in his first season in Baton Rouge, but with some work, he could be an impact player.
Related: LSU Baseball Loses Talented Outfield to Transfer Portal
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.