Pirates Select LSU’s Derek Curiel Top 5 | Pittsburgh Pirates News

Pirates shock the baseball world by selecting LSU’s Derek Curiel with the fifth overall pick—making him the first LSU player drafted this year and cementing Pittsburgh’s knack for finding elite talent from the Tigers, following their blockbuster 2023 first-round steal, Paul Skenes. Curiel, a two-year Baton Rouge standout who led off and played left in LSU’s 2025 national title team, exploded as a sophomore with a .349 average, 1.975 OPS, 171 hits, 131 runs, and 101 RBIs—proving he’s primed to make an immediate impact in the majors. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/8543445de2f03d08