Another Major League Baseball season is upon us and the pipeline between major collegiate programs and the major leagues continues to produce more and more players that eventually are drafted and develop into major league talent that make Opening Day rosters with their hard work.

Check out some of the incredible numbers below on Division I programs – led by both LSU and Long Beach State with nine each – who can proudly show the amount of their own who have joined teams to begin the 2017 season. *Please note – the numbers include players on active rosters only.

Opening Day Rosters by the Numbers

• 750 Total Players:
• 375 signed out of College
• 199 signed as International Free Agents
• 176 signed out of High School

Highest # of MLB Players on Opening Day Rosters Drafted from Colleges:

9 – LSU, Long Beach State

7 – Arizona State, Arkansas, Cal State Fullerton, Virginia

6 – Alabama, Miami, Mississippi State

5 – Arizona, Florida State, North Carolina, San Diego, Texas, Texas A&M

4 – Chipola, Connecticut, Georgia Tech, Mississippi, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Rice, South Carolina, Southern California, Stanford, Texas Tech, UCLA

Powerhouse programs LSU and Long Beach State lead all schools in the number of players, who were drafted out of their program, on MLB Opening Day rosters this season.

LSU boasts Baltimore Orioles Opening Day Starter, Kevin Gausman, as well as Colorado Rockies All-Star and reigning National League Batting champ, DJ LeMahieu. Additionally, top prospects like Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies RHP Aaron Nola broke camp with their big league clubs and look to make a major impact in 2017. Rounding out the former Tigers at the Major League level are JaCoby Jones and Mikie Mahtook of the Detroit Tigers, Astro Will Harris, the San Diego Padres’ Ryan Schimpf, and former 1^st-rounder, Aaron Hill of the San Francisco Giants.

Among Long Beach State’s distinguished alums on Opening Day rosters are All-Stars Evan Longoria, Jered Weaver, Marco Estrada and Troy Tulowitzki. In addition, Bryan Shaw of the Indians, Jared Hughes of the Brewers, the Angels’ Danny Espinosa, Mariners’ Nick Vincent and Jason Vargas of the Royals all played for the Dirtbags.

Recruiting, educating and developing players that eventually make the Major Leagues is a difficult thing to accomplish. When a program produces nine players that go onto that level at the same time, it is truly impressive.

Congratulations to LSU and Long Beach State for the success of their former alumni on Opening Day rosters.