Rice’s LJ Layhew brings catcher grit and baseball IQ
Layhew is a compact, defense-first catcher who worked as Rice’s bullpen catcher in 2026, a role that usually signals trust, energy, and everyday value even before the box-score numbers catch up. At Kinkaid, he showed a well-rounded offensive base (.333 as a senior with a 1.221 OPS, nine doubles, three triples, and four homers) and real athletic utility with 13 steals, while also throwing out 36 runners in high school. He looks like a program-fit glue guy: tough, detail-oriented, and the kind of teammate coaches tend to love.
