July 11, 2024

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

The MLB draft can be nerve-wracking for any eligible player who dreams of taking their talents to the professional level and another step closer to the big-league stage.

For pitcher L.P. Langevin (Quebec, Que.), that dream has a strong chance of coming to fruition early next week with the draft set to begin on Sunday.

After a stellar campaign with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns, the right-hander is the top-ranked pitcher on the 2024 Canadian Baseball Network Draft List.

“It’s a stressful but exciting time,” said Langevin, speaking to the Canadian Baseball Network. “You put in a lot of effort and training over the years to put yourself into a situation to hear your name called in the draft but at the end of the day, it’s out of your hands and in the hands of the Major League teams. I believe I can take my talents to the next level and I am ready to prove it to whichever team is willing to draft me.”

For Langevin, the right-hander could not have scripted a better season than the one he put together with the Ragin’ Cajuns in 2024. After two seasons with Wabash Valley Junior College, the Academie de Baseball du Canada alum transferred into the Sun Belt Conference and made an immediate impact out of the Ragin’ Cajuns’ bullpen.

Through 23 appearances (three starts), Langevin posted a 3.73 ERA through 62 2/3 innings – allowing 26 earned runs while striking out 106 to the tune of a 15.2 K/9, both of which led the conference. His strikeout rate also ranked third in all of D1 baseball.

Of his 23 outings, 16 saw Langevin toss more than two innings while he also hit double-digit single-game strikeout totals on two occasions, collecting a strikeout in all but one outing this year.

Langevin also posted a 5.7 H/9 and amassed seven saves, both of which ranked second in the SBC, and he finished with a 1.165 WHIP. Scouts are raving about his fastball whiff-rate metrics, generating high-ranking rates above 40% (leading all of D1 Baseball with a 45.4% rate) and when paired with his slider and changeup, he can generate a ton of swing and miss. MLB Pipeline has the reliever as the 230th best prospect heading into the draft and Langevin was recently named the No. 5 overall relief pitcher by D1Baseball.

“It has been an exciting process and I am ready for the draft,” said Langevin. “I am ready to take the next step into professional baseball and if drafted, I know I will be in good hands no matter where I end up going. I believe I have put myself in a really good position to hear my name called and I am ready for whatever lies ahead.”

After an impressive debut season in D1 Baseball, Langevin also heads into the summer with some more hardware for the trophy case – including the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year Award.

The 21-year-old was also named First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference, Baseball America Third-Team All-American, and a Dick Howser Award Semi-finalist. Langevin was invited to the MLB Draft Combine last month, where he had a chance to interact with fellow eligible draft players.

“I am always honoured to win awards like that (Pitcher of the Year) but deep down, I am always just trying to help my team win and do the best I can on the field,” said Langevin. “We went into the College World Series with a chip on our shoulder after how the championship series shook out and we left everything on the field. I am incredibly proud of that team and what we accomplished at College Station.”

The last team announced on the selection show, the Ragin’ Cajuns was heading to Texas for their third consecutive NCAA Baseball Regionals tournament. Once at the tournament, head coach Matt Deggs saved Langevin for arguably the most high-pressure scenario. In a do-or-die game against Texas to advance to face Texas A&M later that Sunday night, Langevin was called out of the bullpen in the bottom of the sixth inning to preserve a 2-1 lead with a runner on first and one out. The right-hander got straight to work, striking out two batters to end the inning. He added four more strikeouts over the next two innings to help the team to a 10-2 win and advance to face Texas A&M (who eventually went on and won the College World Series).

From the JUCO ranks in Mount Carmel, Ill., to the D1 stage across the country, if there was an award for a Canadian player who improved their draft stock the most in a year, it would likely go to Langevin. Scouts were already aware of what he could do on the mound with Wabash Valley and he continued to dominate against experienced hitters in the SBC.

With his ability to strike out opposing batters at such a high rate and being able to pitch multiple innings, the right-hander’s campaign with Louisiana-Lafayette has seen him rise up the draft rankings.

“I had a great year in Lafayette working with the rest of the guys and I learned a lot about baseball and myself pitching for the Ragin’ Cajuns,” said Langevin. “Playing under Coach Deggs and the rest of the staff has really helped shape me into the pitcher I am today.”

The better question is not if Langevin will be drafted this year, it is when the right-hander will hear his name called.