Derek Curiel
| Derek Curiel | |
|---|---|
_(cropped)_Derek_Curiel.jpg) Curiel at the White House in 2025 | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: May 24, 2005 Baldwin Park, California, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| Stats at Baseball Reference |
Derek Boaz Curiel (born May 24, 2005) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Amateur career
[edit]Curiel grew up in West Covina, California and attended Orange Lutheran High School.[1] He committed to play college baseball at Louisiana State University (LSU) as a sophomore and was rated the top collegiate prospect in the nation by Perfect Game.[2] Curiel batted .358 with eight doubles and 15 stolen bases during his junior season.[3] He played for the United States national baseball team in the 2023 U-18 Baseball World Cup and hit .240 over nine games.[4] Curiel batted .314 as a senior.[5] While initially considered one of the better high school prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft, Curiel's stock fell during his senior year.[6][7] He ultimately decided to withdraw from the draft and enroll at LSU.[8]
Curiel entered his freshman season with the LSU Tigers in 2025 as their starting left fielder.[9][10] He played in 68 games and batted .345 with seven home runs and 55 RBI, helping lead the Tigers to a win in the 2025 Men's College World Series.[11]
Curiel entered his sophomore season in 2026 as a top prospect for the upcoming MLB draft.[12][13][14] He appeared in 58 games and hit .353 with six home runs, 46 RBI, and 13 stolen bases.[15]
Professional career
[edit]Curiel was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 Major League Baseball draft.[16][17][18] He signed with the Pirates for a $6.2 million signing bonus.[19]
References
[edit]- ↑ Dykstra, Sam (June 28, 2023). "'Always in attack mode,' Curiel racks up steals, hits in PDP League". MLB.com. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ↑ Sanders, Dylan (January 14, 2023). "Breaking down LSU's 2024 baseball commits". 247Sports.com. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Orange Lutheran ready for all challenges with formidable lineup". The Orange County Register. February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Derek Curiel to LSU baseball, passing up 2024 MLB Draft". The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. June 17, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ↑ Yoder, Alexis (January 13, 2025). "LSU baseball recruit named top freshman in the country by Perfect Game". LSU Tigers Wire. USA Today. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ↑ Law, Keith (April 15, 2024). "2024 MLB Draft notes on risers Kellon Lindsey, Trey Yesavage; plus NHSI notes and more". The Athletic. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ↑ Mayo, Jonathan (October 23, 2023). "Top 20 High School prospects for '24 Draft". MLB.com. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "LSU Signee Derek Curiel Withdraws From 2024 MLB Draft". Baseball America. June 17, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Home runs from Derek Curiel, Jared Jones lift LSU baseball past Purdue Fort Wayne". The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. February 15, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Pitchers throwing strikes and an OF logjam: 5 takeaways from LSU baseball's opening week sweep". The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. February 16, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ↑ Ezman, Alfred (July 7, 2025). "LSU's Derek Curiel Named National Freshman of the Year". World Baseball Network. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
- ↑ Collazo, Carlos (2026-03-10). "Scouting Derek Curiel: A Polished Pure Hitter With Power Questions". College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America. Retrieved 2026-05-26.
- ↑ Palmer, Hunter (2026-05-26). "Roster Review: The Outfield". Louisiana Sports. Retrieved 2026-05-26.
- ↑ Sanders, Dylan (2026-05-25). "Three LSU Tigers Stars Who Will Either Return Or Declare For MLB Draft". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 2026-05-26.
- ↑ "'Everything I ever dreamed of': Pirates select LSU outfielder Derek Curiel with the No. 5 pick in the MLB Draft". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
- ↑ DeRosa, Theo; Stepansky, Aiden (2026-07-11). "LSU OF Curiel drafted 5th overall by Pirates". MLB. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
- ↑ "LSU outfielder Derek Curiel selected as the No. 5 pick in the MLB Draft". WBRZ. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
- ↑ Riley, Koki (2026-07-11). "LSU's Derek Curiel is officially a top-5 draft pick in the first round. Here's where he's going". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
- ↑ Stepansky, Aiden. "Pirates sign Griffin's buddy and No. 5 overall pick Curiel". MLB.com. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from MLB · Fangraphs · Baseball Reference (Minors)
- LSU Tigers bio