​Derek Curiel became the latest former LSU baseball star to be selected in the top five of the MLB Draft, as the Pittsburgh Pirates chose him at No. 5 overall on Saturday during the 2026 draft. He joins a notable Tigers lineage in the top five, alongside Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, and Kade Anderson, who have all reached the pinnacle of the draft since 2023.
Scouts viewed Curiel as a consensus first-round talent, even though most mock drafts had him projected to go in the teens or the high twenties. ESPN listed him as the No. 10 prospect overall, while MLB put him at No. 12. The outfielder exceeded expectations across the board, emerging as the most recent LSU alum to become a Pirate after Skenes, and signaling a strong start to a new chapter in his professional career.
The MLB slot value assigned to the No. 5 pick is $8.34 million, though the total value of Curiel’s compensation package will likely surpass that figure. The Pirates entered the draft with one of the larger bonus pools, at $16.2 million, which suggests that Curiel’s eventual contract and signing bonus could be particularly lucrative.
In the wake of the 2026 season, Curiel hinted at a possible return to LSU during post-season interviews. While the prospect of him donning the purple and gold again remained a remote possibility, the substantial financial incentives available with the Pirates’ signing package have all but quashed that notion for many observers.
This recap reflects coverage originally published by LSU Wire in its LSU Baseball Draft News: Derek Curiel’s Expected Signing Bonus for Better SEO.