Derek Curiel credits LSU development for setting him up for the Pirates’ next chapter

The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to the next wave of position players, and Derek Curiel’s path has become a central example of how development can change a player’s timing. In a Pirates story published Tuesday, Curiel reflected on why he believed he needed more time and strength before turning professional, choosing to stay in college rather than pursue the immediate jump to the draft.

Curiel’s background is also tied into the Pirates’ current roster-building conversation because the organization is simultaneously tracking Konnor Griffin, who is now their shortstop after signing with Pittsburgh out of high school instead of fulfilling his original commitment to LSU. The contrast matters for how the Pirates think about player readiness, not just raw talent, and it frames Curiel’s decision as part of a broader “right fit, right time” approach.

From Curiel’s perspective, time at LSU was not treated as a holding pattern. The team’s narrative emphasizes that the work done in college transformed him physically and prepared him for the pro game, positioning him for a later professional opportunity. That developmental arc, according to the Pirates’ account, is what ultimately “sets the stage” for his place in Pittsburgh’s future plans.

The Pirates story connects that development directly to the draft-selection storyline, presenting Curiel’s college tenure as the practical reason he became a prospect in a different category than a player who enters the professional system straight from high school. While Griffin’s early pro entry has already produced a clear destination on the infield side, Curiel’s route emphasizes maturation, muscle gain, and a readiness built through playing and training at the collegiate level.

Curiel’s case also illustrates how draft decisions can reflect a player’s own assessment, not just a team’s. In the Pirates account, he is described as knowing he needed more time and muscle before becoming a professional, and then acting on it by pulling his name from a 2024 Pittsburgh draft process and instead completing his development at LSU.

There is, of course, a caveat in this comparison: Griffin’s and Curiel’s paths diverged at the earliest decision point, and that makes it hard to treat either route as universally “better.” The Pirates’ player-development track record depends on how each athlete adapts once the professional routines begin, which can take time regardless of whether a player turns pro early or later.

What to watch next is how the Pirates translate Curiel’s LSU development theme into his near-term pro profile, particularly whether his physical gains and game preparation show up in performance and consistency as he moves through the organization’s system. The broader implication for Pittsburgh is roster construction, because building a future core often requires balancing immediate ceiling with developmental timing, and Curiel’s story is pitched as an example of that balance working in real time.