2025 MLB Draft Preview: Dean Curley scouting report
The 2025 MLB Draft is less than a month away — the first round kicks off on July 13, 2025 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #12, their second round pick is at #52, and their third round pick is at #84.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at Vanderbilt University infielder Dean Curley.
Dean Curley is a 6’3”, 212 lb. righthanded hitting infielder for the University of Tennessee. Curley was #319 on the BA board in 2023 as a California prep infielder but went undrafted due to signability concerns. Curley is a draft-eligible sophomore who has started both of his seasons at Tennessee, and turned 21 in April.
Curley is a solid hitter who has power. He gets good reviews for his swing and ability to make contact in the zone. MLB Pipeline praises his gap-to-gap power and knowledge of the strike zone, but notes that he’s had consistency issues and struggled against offspeed and breaking balls as a sophomore.
Curley was the Volunteers’ starting shortstop in 2024, but in 2025 has played an almost equal number of games at second base, shortstop and third base, and has played some first base as well. Curley is big for a shortstop and not terribly quick, but his instincts are good enough that he may not have to move off the position. He’s apparently had consistency and throwing issues this spring, however. Curley has a very good arm and so would be a fit at third base if he had to move off of shortstop.
As a freshman, Curley slashed .285/.386/.502 in 67 games for Tennessee, with 31 walks against 47 Ks. He did not take the step forward as a sophomore that I think was hoped for, however, slashing .315/.435/.531 with 45 walks against 47 Ks.
Baseball America has Curley at #36 on their top 500 list. MLB Pipeline’s draft rankings have Curley at #58. Keith Law’s top 100 list ranks Curley at #28. Kiley McDaniel’s top 150 list has Curley at #64. Fangraphs has Curley at #7 on their board.
Baseball America’s mock draft from June 9 has Curley going to the Brewers at #32. BA’s May 12 mock draft had Curley going to the Orioles at #31. Keith Law’s mock draft has Curley in the “other names to watch.” None of the MLB Pipeline mocks recently have included Curley.
Dean Curley is one of the more challenging players to figure out in this draft. As you can see from the rankings, there’s a wide range of opinions on where he belongs on the draft board. He’s also seen his stock fall this year — he was in the top ten on BA’s board earlier on, but his play this year has seen him slide.
Curley would not seem to be a candidate to be taken by the Rangers with their first pick, and could well be gone by the time they pick in the second round. He could be a viable option in the second or third rounds although, as a draft-eligible sophomore, he has more negotiating flexibility and could opt to return to Tennessee and improve his draft stock rather than settle for something less than first round money. He reminds me in certain ways of Davis Wendzel, a guy with some pop who played all over the infield and who went to the Rangers in the supplemental first round in 2019 after not signing as a late round pick as a draft-eligible sophomore in 2018.
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