LSU Country

LSU Baseball Signee, No. 10 Prospect in America Pulls Name From 2024 MLB Draft

The Top 10 prospect in the country has formally withdrawn from the draft, headed to Baton Rouge.

Zack Nagy

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Jay Johnson and the LSU baseball staff picked up another victory on the recruiting trail after Derek Curiel, the No. 10 rated prospect in the 2024 class, formally withdrew his name from the MLB Draft on Monday.

The LSU signee announced his decision via social media and will now prepare to make his way to Baton Rouge where he is set to enroll early this summer.

Johnson and Co. have continued retooling the roster this offseason via the NCAA Transfer Portal, and with Curiel now in the mix, LSU brings in a pivotal piece to the 2024 high school class.

The No. 117 overall prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft, according to MLB.com, the Tigers are bringing in an immediate impact player for the 2025 season.

Here's what Curiel's Draft Profile says:

"Curiel's bat to ball skills are excellent and he rarely strikes out... While Curiel is now mostly an average runner, he does have outstanding instincts that will let him play center field for a long time.

"That with his knack for finding the barrel gives him a pretty decent floor as a big leaguer, and there are some who think he might go on to LSU and come out as a high floor college hitter."

The LSU outfield now adds another critical piece to the future after true freshmen Jake Brown and Ashton Larson earned starting duties towards the backend of the season.

Now, throwing Curiel and others in the mix, the Tigers attain significant depth in the outfield for the 2025 season.

Johnson addressed the media last week where he detailed the impact of the MLB Draft and how enticing it is for high schools to choose that route:

"I've been doing this forever and my life is built around Omaha. One of the most significant times is during the Major League Baseball Draft and it's so different now than it's ever been before. Pro baseball has so much money that they can probably entice a high school player to go do that."

Johnson and Co. now reel in a Top 10 prospect via the high school route, a rare occasion in college baseball, with the Tigers getting Curiel to campus.

He will arrive this summer as one of the highest rated signees to ever make it to Baton Rouge and is another significant addition for the LSU Tigers are they shift focus to the 2025 season.

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LSU Baseball: Pair of Prized Transfer Pitchers Reveal Commitments to LSU

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Country: @LSUCountry_FN for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

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