Michael Curialle

Curialle succeeded 2017 No. 1 overall pick Royce Lewis as the starting shortstop at national prep power JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) High and was a candidate to be drafted in the top three rounds out of high school, but he stuck with his commitment to UCLA. Expected to be a star for the Bruins, Curialle instead hit just eight home runs in three years while moving down the defensive spectrum. Curialle is a big, physical righthanded hitter at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds. He has plus raw power but does not get to it in games, largely because he lacks twitch and explosiveness in his swing. He identifies pitches well but swings and misses too much against better pitching, including an ugly stint in the Cape Cod League where he struck out in 37% of his at-bats. Curialle is an above-average runner with a plus arm and is a decent athlete for his size. He played second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield spots in college, with right field his best position. Curialle has tools, but he's going to have to prove he can hit advanced pitching and tap into more power. He is a candidate to be taken late on the draft's second day or early on the third day.