The 2026 MLB Draft delivered a surprise on Thursday night when the Pittsburgh Pirates reached into the first round to claim Derek Curiel with the fifth overall selection.
Curiel arrives in Pittsburgh after a two‑year stint at Louisiana State University, where he helped the Tigers capture a national championship and posted a career batting average of .349.
During his freshman season in 2025 he led off the lineup and started in left field, contributing to the championship run, and the following year he moved to center field while raising his OPS to .975.
A Familiar Path
The Pirates are no strangers to LSU talent; just three years earlier they drafted Paul Skenes with the first overall pick, a pitcher who has since become a three‑time All‑Star.
Skenes’ rapid ascent gave the organization a clear blueprint for developing raw college stars, and the front office now hopes to replicate that success with Curiel’s bat.
Scouts had widely projected Curiel somewhere within the top twenty, making his fall to fifth a pleasant surprise for the Pirates’ drafting department.
Looking Ahead
With a proven track record of turning collegiate standouts into major‑league contributors, Pittsburgh’s front office is already mapping out a development plan that could see Curiel slotting into the middle of the order within a few seasons.
The move underscores a broader strategy of leveraging the university pipeline, a tactic that could reshape the team’s roster construction in the years to come.