Will Ben Kudrna play for LSU baseball after getting drafted?

LSU baseball signee Ben Kudrna, a 6-foot-3 right-handed pitcher, was selected by the Kansas City Royals with the No. 43 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft on Monday.

Kudrna was rated by Perfect Game as the No. 27 overall player in the country and the No. 7 right-handed pitcher. He was also rated as the No. 1 player in the state of Kansas.

It’s never a surprise to see a top-rated signee drafted.

The big question now is whether or not Kudrna will sign with the Royals or if he’ll choose to play college baseball at LSU. If Kudrna elects to play for the Tigers, he won’t be eligible to be drafted again until the 2024 MLB Draft.

Will LSU baseball have Ben Kudrna next season?

It seems unlikely that Kudrna will be playing college baseball in Baton Rouge next season unless he wants to bet on himself in a big way.

The slot value for the No. 43 overall pick in the draft, where Kudrna was selected, is $1.7 million.

That’s obviously a lot of cash. And it would be tough to turn down for Kudrna, even if it means toiling around in the minor leagues for several years.

If Kudrna decided to play for LSU, the risk of injury would be there, which could cause him to slip in the draft in 2024. Or he could prove to be ineffective (while not likely, it’s very possible).

Giving up $1.7 million just seems like too much to risk.

Sure, we’ve seen players pass on millions before to attend college (Gerrit Cole and Matt Harvey, for example), but it’s always a massive gamble. And sometimes it doesn’t work out.

It would be great to see Kudrna at LSU, but I can’t blame him one bit if he signs with the Royals and decides to take the money.