Derek Curiel

Selected in the first round (No. 5 overall) of the 2026 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of Louisiana State University... was ranked as the No. 12 prospect in the 2026 class by MLB.com... had projected as a potential first-rounder early in his career at Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High School, but he didn't perform as hoped in his final showcase summer or senior season and withdrew from the 2024 Draft... at Louisiana State, he was the leading hitter (.345/.470/.519) on a College World Series championship team as a freshman and batted .390 in the NCAA tournament... he became Draft-eligible as a sophomore in 2026... full name is Derek Boaz Curiel… born in West Covina, Calif… son of Rick and Linda Curiel; his father is a police officer, his mother is a stay-at-home mom… he has two siblings, Donovyn and Ysabella...

In 2026 at LSU, he hit .353 with six homers, 46 RBIs and 82 hits in 58 games... in 2025 at LSU, he started in all 68 games and batted a team-high .345 with 20 doubles, two triples, seven homers, 55 RBIs and 67 runs... helped lead LSU to the NCAA College World Series National Championship

In high school in 2024, he was ranked as the No. 10 overall high school player in the country and as the second-best high school player in the state of California by Perfect Game after he batted .314 with 33 hits – including 10 doubles – 21 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in his senior year (2024) at Orange Lutheran High School... he was a two-time member of the 18U USA National Team and a four-time High School All-American and was named a Perfect Game Player of the Year in 2020 and in 2023