Dean Curley

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #39 prospect in 2025 draft
  School: Tennessee Drafted/Committed: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 21.3
  
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Curley stepped into an everyday role as a Tennessee freshman, hitting .285 with 12 home runs and solid plate skills. He had big expectations heading into his draft-eligible sophomore season in 2025 and was productive, but he didn’t take a significant step forward many scouts were hoping for. Curley hit .313/.426/.518 with 12 home runs, with a bit more swing-and-miss in SEC play and some defensive struggles. Curley has a big league body at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds with length in his lower half and strength and physicality throughout. Curley has a small stride from a slightly crouched stance and fires his hands with quick bat speed and an operation that’s under control with minimal moving parts. He has a polished approach and advanced pitch recognition skills. He chased at a sub-20% clip in 2025 and he seldom expanded the strike zone—though changeups in particular were effective against him. Still, in a class of college hitters with plenty of holes, Curley stands out for a well-rounded offensive game that features a strong approach, contact and above-average raw power. He entered the season with a chance to prove himself at shortstop but leaves it as an unlikely fit there long term. He lacks typical middle infield actions and quickness, and while his arm strength is plus, he had real struggles with throwing accuracy in the second half. His best defensive home is third base, where his throwing angles will be more consistent.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run:50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55.
• Ranked #7 prospect in 2025 draft
  School: Tennessee Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 21.3
  
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  One of the premier sophomore-eligible prospects in the class, Curley was the everyday shortstop for the a championship 2024 Tennessee squad and hit .285/.386/.502 with 10 doubles, 12 home runs and 50 RBIs. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Curley has a big-league body. He moves well in the box and has plenty of hand speed with above-average power to the pull side, but he also flashed a feel to hit—to the tune of a 90% overall in-zone contact rate—and a sound approach. Curley might outgrow shortstop but he has an easy plus arm that should allow him to fit nicely on the left side of the dirt if and when he needs to move to the hot corner.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60
• Ranked #319 prospect in 2023 draft
  School: Northview HS, Covina, Calif. Source: HS
  
  Commit/Drafted: Tennessee
  Age At Draft: 19.2
  Curley is a large and physical infielder with a 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame and a well-rounded set of tools. He is a patient hitter who seems to have a strong understanding of the strike zone and rarely chases bad pitches. There is some swing-and-miss to Curley’s game and his swing can get a bit lengthy at times, but he should offer solid on-base ability and power at the next level. He moves pretty well for his size and flashes exciting power potential with a great body and strength to go with it, but his pure hitting ability needs refinement in order for him to fully tap into that power. He’s a solid runner who could stick on the left side of the infield thanks to above-average arm strength, but his actions look more like a third baseman than a shortstop and there’s a chance he could move to the corner outfield as well. Curley’s arm is probably the loudest tool he has at the moment, and it could be a plus tool in the future. He’s also been up to 93 mph on the mound. Curley is old for the class and is committed to Tennessee, where he’ll be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2025 if he makes it to campus.