Michael Curialle Stats & Scouting Report

AB	246
AVG	.22
OBP	.296
SLG	.366
HR	7

Full name Michael James Curialle
Born 06/16/2001 in Freehold, NJ
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 199 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School UCLA
Drafted in the 12th round (367th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022 (signed for $150,000).

View Draft Report

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.

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Draft Prospects

School: UCLA Committed/Drafted: Rockies ’19 (31)
Age At Draft: 21.1
Curialle, Royce Lewis’ replacement as the starting shortstop at JSerra High in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., ranked No. 101 on the top 500 draft prospects in 2019. Three years later, his draft status has significantly sunk in the eyes of most evaluators, largely because he’s moved down the defensive spectrum and while he’s been a consistent hitter at UCLA, he has just eight home runs and a .455 career slugging percentage in three years with the Bruins. The high school shortstop has never found a consistent home at UCLA. He’s played shortstop, second base, third base and all three outfield spots. He has a plus arm, but lacks the fluidity and actions to play shortstop. He’s likely a second baseman or right fielder in pro ball, but so far he’s not shown the power to play at either of those spots. Curialle is an above-average runner and has plenty of athleticism, but a team taking him is going to have to count on getting more out of his bat than it’s seen so far, likely by working on improving his swing to tap into more power without increasing his already borderline swing-and-miss tendencies.
Curialle followed Royce Lewis as the starting shortstop at JSerra (Calif.) HS and led the Lions to consecutive Boras Classic South championships. He finished one hit shy of tying Lewis' school single-season hits record this spring as a senior. Curialle is an impressive blend of physicality and athleticism. He is strong and broad-chested at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds and has big raw power, but he is also a plus runner who beats out infield singles and glides around the infield on defense. He makes all the plays at shortstop and has the athleticism for center field and third base. Curialle's best tool is his plus-plus arm. He makes every throw from deep in the hole, cuts down runners on long relays and has touched 93 mph off the mound despite little pitching experience. Curialle swings and misses a bit too much, which is what prevents him from being a potential first-rounder, but he has the tools to project as an average or better hitter. A potential five-tool talent, Curialle is committed to UCLA and will command a hefty signing bonus.

Scouting Reports

Curialle followed Royce Lewis as the starting shortstop at JSerra (Calif.) HS and led the Lions to consecutive Boras Classic South championships. He finished one hit shy of tying Lewis' school single-season hits record this spring as a senior. Curialle is an impressive blend of physicality and athleticism. He is strong and broad-chested at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds and has big raw power, but he is also a plus runner who beats out infield singles and glides around the infield on defense. He makes all the plays at shortstop and has the athleticism for center field and third base. Curialle's best tool is his plus-plus arm. He makes every throw from deep in the hole, cuts down runners on long relays and has touched 93 mph off the mound despite little pitching experience. Curialle swings and misses a bit too much, which is what prevents him from being a potential first-rounder, but he has the tools to project as an average or better hitter. A potential five-tool talent, Curialle is committed to UCLA and will command a hefty signing bonus.