Dean Curley held down the shortstop position on Tennessee baseball‘s national title team as a freshman in 2024.

The standout infielder became a second-round MLB Draft pick a year later as he was selected No. 64 by the Cleveland Guardians in the 2025 MLB Draft on July 13. He was the third Tennessee infielder drafted, joining Gavin Kilen and Andrew Fischer. Kilen was chosen No. 13 by the San Francisco Giants and Fischer was selected No. 20 by the Milwaukee Brewers.

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Curley was eligible for the draft after two seasons because he turned 21 on April 15. He is the lone draft-eligible sophomore from Tennessee’s 2025 roster.

Tennessee had a program-record four players picked in the first round.

Pitcher Liam Doyle was picked No. 5 by the St. Louis Cardinals and pitcher Marcus Phillips was drafted No. 33 by the Boston Red Sox along with Kilen and Fischer.

Dean Curley was the starting shortstop on Tennessee’s national title team

Curley hit .301 with 26 homers and 101 RBIs in two seasons at Tennessee.

The Californian took over the starting shortstop position as a freshman in 2024, winning the job and holding it on Tennessee’s national championship team. He started 66 games, hitting .285 with 12 homers and 50 RBIs. He hit three homers against Kansas State on March 5, 2024, to become the first freshman in UT history to have a three-homer game.

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Dean Curley could play anywhere on the infield as a pro

The 6-foot-3, 218-pound Curley had an up-and-down sophomore season.

He hit .315 with 14 homers and 51 RBIs, but had patches of defensive struggles with 17 errors and a .906 fielding percentage. He opened the season at shortstop then spent time at third base. He ultimately settled at second base, where he was at his best in the field.

Curley could play anywhere on the infield as a pro. His arm is one of his biggest assets at the next level, which could mean he lands on the left side.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Dean Curley: Tennessee infielder picked in second round by Cleveland Guardians in 2025 MLB Draft