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- By Kaili Berg
Brian Curley, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, officially signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks this week after being selected 92nd overall in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft.
Curley agreed to a $700,000 signing bonus, coming in slightly under the slot value of $839,100, signaling Arizona’s confidence in his long-term potential.
Curley played his junior season at the University of Georgia, where he stood out with a 3.55 ERA, 85 strikeouts, and a .179 opponent batting average over 66 innings.
He earned Second Team All-SEC honors. Before Georgia, he pitched at VCU and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024, but chose to return to college to improve his draft stock.
His performance earned him Second Team All-SEC honors and a much more favorable draft position the following summer.
Standing at 5-foot-10 and 212 pounds, his fastball consistently sits in the mid-90s and has touched triple digits. Some scouts see him as a future reliever, but the Diamondbacks are keeping the door open for him to start.
The Diamondbacks have already assigned Curley to their Arizona Complex League affiliate, where he is expected to get his first taste of professional action this summer.
His development will likely center around improving command and building stamina, with an eye toward potentially fast-tracking him into a high-leverage relief role if he doesn’t stick in the rotation.
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