2026 MLB Draft Preview: Derek Curiel scouting report.
The 2026 is about a month away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three
picks. Today we are looking at LSU outfielder Derek Curiel.
Derek Curiel is a 6’2”, 192 lb. lefthanded hitting outfielder for LSU. He was considered a potential first round pick in 2024 coming out of Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, California, but had a down senior year and ended up withdrawing from the draft. He is a draft-eligible sophomore who turned 21 last month.
Curiel’s carrying tool since his high school days has been his hit tool. He’s described as a “pure hitter” with excellent contact ability and the ability to make hard contact, with strong exit velocities. However, he has also never hit for much power, in part due to his swing, which doesn’t generate much loft — he’s more of a ground ball and line drive hitter with his swing. His build and exit velocities indicate that there may be more power that he can tap into, but as of now, there are questions about whether he will ever have even average power.
Curiel has played center field for LSU this year, after primarily playing left field in 2025. His speed appears to grade out at a little above average, though one would expect that to drop a little as he fills out. His arm would be a problem in right field, but is fine for center and left. He doesn’t project as a great defender in the outfield, and it remains to be seen whether he will be good enough defensively to play center regularly long-term.
Curiel has put up pretty similar numbers in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. As a freshman, he slashed .345/.470/.519, with 53 walks against 56 Ks in 323 plate appearances. This year, in 274 plate appearances, he slashed .353/.431/.526, with 34 walks and 43 Ks while going 13 for 15 on the bases. After winning the College World Series in 2025, LSU didn’t make the field of 64 this year, so Curiel wasn’t able to show his stuff in the postseason this year.
Baseball America has Curiel at #13 on their board. MLB Pipeline has Curiel at #12 on their board. Kiley McDaniel puts Curiel at #17 on his top 150 list. Keith Law’s rankings have Curiel at #16 on his board. Fangraphs has Curiel at #30 on their board. Baseball Prospectus has Curiel at #17 on their top 30 draft board.
In the June 8 Baseball America mock draft, Carlos Collazo has Curiel going to the Rockies at #10. The BA staff draft on June 15 has Curiel going to the Pirates at #5. Jim Callis’s June 4 mock draft has Curiel at #13 to the Cardinals, though he’s mentioned as a possibility for everyone from #12 to #15. Jonathan Mayo’s June 11 mock draft has Curiel going the Cardinals at #13. Keith Law’s May mock draft has Curiel going to the A’s at #8. Law’s June 10 mock draft also has Curiel going to the A’s at #8. Kiley McDaniel’s May 29 mock draft has Lebron going to the Mariners at #24. Kiley McDaniel’s June 18 mock draft has Curiel going to the D-Backs at #15.
Curiel seems likely to go somewhere in the teens, and could be on the board when the Rangers pick at 16. He has the hit tool the Rangers prioritize in position players, and has had success in the best college baseball conference, which is also something the team puts emphasis on.
He’s a high-floor guy — I’ve seen him described as a “safe” pick — whose upside ultimately depends on how much his power improves as a professional and to what extent he can stick in center field. If he can’t get to at least average power, or play at least average defense in center field, its hard to see him as a starter, and so there’s real risk that he ends up a tweener fourth outfielder.
The person who came to mind when I was reading about Curiel is David Murphy. Murphy was drafted #17 overall by the Boston Red Sox in 2003 after a successful career at Baylor. Murphy had a solid hit tool but questions about his power, and he played center field in the minors but was stretched there defensively and primarily played left field in the majors, where he was mostly a platoon outfielder/fourth outfielder.
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