BATON ROUGE – Texas Rangers infielder Josh Smith will seek to enhance LSU’s World Series legacy when the Rangers open the World Series Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Game 1 of the World Series is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. All of the World Series games will be televised on FOX.
The Baton Rouge native, who played at LSU from 2017-19, is looking to become the 16th former Tiger to earn a World Series ring. Fifteen former LSU stars have played on World Series championship teams on 20 occasions, beginning with infielder Alvin Dark of the New York Giants in 1954.
A total of 42 former Tigers have been a part of MLB playoff teams since 1990, and 13 players have been members of World Series Championship teams in that span.
Smith made his MLB debut with the Rangers last season, and he has collected eight doubles, one triple, six homers, 15 RBI and 29 runs this season as a third baseman, shortstop and left fielder. He was selected in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees, and he was traded in July 2021 to the Rangers.
After missing the majority of the 2018 season with an injury, Smith was LSU’s starting shortstop and leading hitter in 2019. He batted .346 (89-for-257) with 17 doubles, two triples, nine homers, 41 RBI, 72 runs and 20 steals in 24 attempts.
Smith was also the starting third baseman for LSU’s 2017 College World Series runners-up team, earning Freshman All-America and Freshman All-SEC recognition.
MLB World Series Champions from LSU
NF Alvin Dark, New York Giants – 1954 (player); Oakland Athletics – 1974 (manager)
1B Joe Bill Adcock, Milwaukee Braves – 1957
LHP Mark Guthrie, Minnesota Twins – 1991
LHP Eddie Yarnall, New York Yankees – 1999 and 2000
LHP Randy Keisler, New York Yankees – 2000
RHP Russ Springer, Arizona Diamondbacks – 2001
RHP Curtis Leskanic, Boston Red Sox – 2004
RHP Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants – 2010 and 2012
INF Mike Fontenot, San Francisco Giants – 2010
LHP Brian Tallet, St. Louis Cardinals – 2011
INF Ryan Theriot, St. Louis Cardinals – 2011; San Francisco Giants – 2012
RHP Louis Coleman, Kansas City Royals – 2015
3B Alex Bregman, Houston Astros – 2017 and 2022
RHP Will Harris, Houston Astros – 2017
OF Andrew Stevenson, Washington Nationals – 2019