2026 MLB Draft Review: Pittsburgh Pirates

The players

The Pirates went a smidge off the board when the club took Derek Curiel with their top pick. No, it wasn’t an overdraft by any stretch; Curiel is a bona fide first-rounder. But he’s very different compared to some of the other first-round outfielders taken in 2026.

Professional hitter would be the best way to describe Curiel, a talented outfielder who is able to hit for some pop but was an elite contact hitter at LSU. The draft-eligible sophomore batted .345 in his freshman season in 2025, when LSU won the national title. And in 2026, he slashed .353/.431/.526 with six home runs and 13 stolen bases.

Curiel can play center field and may very well wind up with 15-20 home runs a season. If he winds up being a consistent on-base threat as well, Curiel should wind up being a good first-round pick.

The Pirates’ first second-rounder was used on Aiden Ruiz, perhaps one of the best prospects to come out of Long Island in decades. A standout who played in high school showcases and the USA U18 team, he’s a legitimate five-tool player. He played around the field in high school but will likely be a shortstop at the pro level. Another interesting nugget: he’s an ambidextrous thrower.

Pittsburgh went back to the SEC with their other second-round pick, going with Auburn star Chris Rembert. He had to hit his way on base this season, as Rembert posted a .343 batting average as a sophomore but a sub-.400 OBP. Rembert didn’t walk much this past season with Auburn. But in his first 14 games with Low-A Bradenton, Rembert walked 11 times.

His power numbers were down in 2026, too, as he hit just four home runs after a 10-homer campaign in 2025.

From there, the Pirates went on a run of pitchers. From Rounds 3-10, only two picks (Andruw Giles and Tre Phelps) were hurlers.

Ryan Marohn missed a healthy chunk of 2026 but pitched very well with the Wolfpack. As we noted in our NC State fall preview, Marohn isn’t a hard thrower but can get hitters off balance.

Tyler Fay of Alabama finished with 127 strikeouts this season, good for 10th in Division I last season. Mid-90s fastball and slider in his arsenal.

Bryson Moore struck out 65 over 61 innings for Florida State this season. Low-to-mid-90s fastball, with enough secondary stuff to work with as well, including a mid-80s changeup and mid-70s curveball.

Alex Overbay, from Arizona State, ran his fastball up to the mid-90s with the Sun Devils. Overbay struck out 50 over 42 innings as a primary reliever at ASU.

But perhaps the biggest wild card among all the pitchers taken was Jason DeCaro. A three-year starter with North Carolina, DeCaro was a fantastic innings eater with the Tar Heels, and a significant reason why the school went to the CWS final. However, what worked against him was A) he doesn’t throw too hard and B) he’ll fill the strike zone — possibly a bit too much.

Pittsburgh took more notable pitchers in the bottom half of the draft. The Pirates couldn’t land Grant Govel but did pick up Liam O’Leary and Griffin Stieg. O’Leary, a fastball/curveball/slider pitcher, didn’t strike out a ton of batters but can work in the low-90s and was a workhorse for a St. John’s team that made it to the Super Regionals.

Griffin Stieg, at times, showed significant promise with Virginia Tech. A sinker that ran up to 97 MPH during the ACC tourney, a changeup, and a sweeping slider were among the weapons in his arsenal.