BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU sophomore outfielder Derek Curiel is rated No. 5 among the MLB Pipeline Top 20 College Prospects for the 2026 draft.
Jim Callis of MLB.com writes of Curiel, “He makes consistent contact to all fields and controls the strike zone, and he’ll help his cause next spring if he can develop more power.” Callis also references Curiel’s speed and instincts as an elite outfielder.
Curiel, a product of West Covina, Calif., was voted the 2025 National Freshman of the Year by D1Baseball.com after a superb rookie season in which he helped lead LSU to the NCAA National Championship.
A 2025 Second-Team All-America, First-Team Freshman All-America and Second-Team All-SEC selection, Curiel hit a team-high .345 with 20 doubles, two triples, seven homers, 55 RBI and 67 runs.
He was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team after collecting six hits, three RBI and three runs in LSU’s five CWS games. Curiel hit a team-high .571 in the Tigers’ NCAA Super Regional sweep of West Virginia with one double, one homer, five RBI and six runs.
He was voted to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional All-Tournament Team, batting .400 (6-for-15) with two doubles, two RBI and four runs.
Curiel finished the season No. 1 in the SEC in doubles (20), No. 3 in the league in walks (53), No. 4 in hits (89), No. 4 in on-base percentage (.470), No. 6 in runs scored (67) and No. 10 in batting average (.345).
Preparation for the 2026 season is ongoing, as the Tigers are engaged in conditioning drills and individual workouts. The reigning National Champions begin their six-week, full-squad fall practice period on Thursday, October 9.
The 2026 season opens on Friday, February 13, when LSU plays host to Milwaukee in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
