Kevin Defrank, RHP, Marlins: Defrank was one of the best pitchers in the 2025 class when the Marlins signed him for $560,000 out of the Dominican Republic and his stuff has only become more electric since then. He has a great pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds with broad shoulders and entered the year already reaching 95 mph. In preseason games, Defrank has been up to 100 mph, extraordinary velocity for a pitcher who will be 16 nearly the entire season. His lively changeup has plus potential and he shows feel to spin a slider that needs refinement but shows promise as well. Defrank has explosive stuff and good body control on the mound for a young pitcher his size, making for an exciting, high-upside starter look if he can handle the workload. 

Adrian Peña, RHP, Marlins: Defrank has a case to be the best pitching prospect in the DSL. So does Peña, giving the Marlins two outstanding arms in their rotation from the Dominican Republic. Peña is a gigantic 6-foot-7, 195-pound righthander who was up to 94 mph when the Marlins signed him and now reaches 99 as a 17-year-old. Peña’s long arm and legs help him generate excellent extension and his feel to spin both his curveball and slider give him multiple breaking balls that could be bat-missing weapons. Signed for $400,000, Peña is still learning to repeat his delivery to throw consistent strikes, but he has good body control and mechanics for a young, gangly pitcher. 

Sadbiel Delzine, RHP, Red Sox: At 6-foot-6, 200 pounds, Delzine has an extra-large frame with a power fastball to match. Delzine signed for $500,000 (the top bonus for a Venezuelan pitcher this year) with a fastball that touched 94 mph and now reaches 96. It’s high-end velocity for a 17-year-old and he looks like he could throw triple digits, but Delzine isn’t just a thrower. His athleticism helps him keep his delivery under control to throw strikes and he shows feel for multiple offspeed pitches, particularly his curveball as well as a changeup.

Kendry Chourio, RHP, Royals: If you’re looking for pitchers who pound the strike zone, Chourio fits that label. He’s 6 feet, 165 pounds and signed for $247,500 after showing exemplary control and pitchability for a 17-year-old. The strikes, touch and feel were what stood out about Chourio when most teams were scouting him, especially without standout size, but now his stuff has taken a significant jump forward, starting with a fastball that has reached 96 mph. He continues to show feel for multiple secondary pitches, including a tight curveball and his changeup to give him a starter look with his ability to control a three-pitch mix. 

Adrian Torres, LHP, Dodgers: The best lefty signed in 2025? For some scouts, it was Torres, a 17-year-old from Panama who signed for $362,500. Torres has a projectable 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame and was pitching in the upper 80s when most teams were scouting him as an amateur, but he’s now up to 97 mph with room on his frame to project another uptick in velocity. The fastball paired with his slider could give him multiple plus or better pitches in the future. After his velocity spike, Torres is learning to harness that fastball in the zone with more consistency, but he’s athletic with the traits to be a high-end starter if he does. 

Santiago Castellanos, RHP, Twins: Signed for $247,500 from Venezuela, Castellanos is only 5-foot-11, but it’s fast arm speed that has helped his fastball soar to 97 mph with good movement. It’s premium velocity—especially for a pitcher who is still 16—and he can drop in a hard curveball with good depth and mixes in an occasional changeup. How many strikes Castellanos throws will be a key to watch in the DSL, where he should have some of the better stuff in the league. 

Omar Damian, RHP, Astros: Damian showed plenty of poise, touch and feel on the mound as an amateur before the Astros signed him for $397,500 out of the Dominican Republic. It was a sizeable bonus for a pitcher who was touching 90 mph, but it’s looking like it could end up a bargain. Still 16, Damian has started to fill out a frame listed at 6-foot-2, 160 pounds, and that extra strength has helped his fastball climb to 95 mph. There’s projection for more velocity in the tank and he generates that fastball from a low-effort delivery. Damian is a strike-thrower whose changeup is extremely advanced for his age and should pile up swing-and-miss, he shows feel to spin a curveball and recently has incorporated a slider too. 

Raudy Reyes, RHP, Braves: The top bonus players in a class typically commit to a team years in advance of when they can officially sign. That wasn’t the case for Reyes, a Dominican righthander who last year threw 102 mph before signing with the Braves for $1,797,500, well above any other Latin American pitcher’s bonus this year. It’s absurd velocity for a player who is still 16 until Aug. 22 but he has a physically mature 6-foot-4, 220-pound build. Will he throw enough strikes or be able to build out a repertoire beyond his big fastball? Those were the questions for a lot of scouts, but those highest on Reyes thought he could develop better control once he learns to tone down the effort on each pitch. He throws a slider with short break and a changeup to round out his arsenal. 

Kelvin Zapata, LHP, Orioles: Hitters don’t see many quality lefties in the DSL, which will make Zapata a difficult at-bat. Zapata was a thin pitcher with good control of a fastball up to 89 mph early in the scouting process, but since signing with the Orioles out of the Dominican Republic for $287,500 he has thrown 95 mph. Zapata, who turned 17 just before the start of the DSL season, produces that fastball despite being just a wiry 6-foot-1, 155 pounds, so there’s probably another velocity jump to come once he packs on more weight. He has shown feel for a sweepy slider as well. 

Hector Moreno, RHP, Yankees: Moreno signed with the Yankees out of the Dominican Republic for $100,000 and has a familiar look to other power arms the organization has produced from their Latin American pipeline. He’s 6-foot-6, 200 pounds at 17 and can touch 95 mph with the physicality and arm speed that give him the look of a potential 100 mph arm. Moreno’s high-spin curveball is his best secondary pitch ahead of his changeup. 

Randy Angomas, RHP, Yankees: With Moreno, Angomas and 19-year-old Manuel Cruz, the Yankees have three promising Dominican righthanders who will make their debut this year in the DSL. Angomas, a 17-year-old signed for $100,000, is 6-foot-1, 198 pounds with good control of a lively fastball up to 93 mph and a high-spin slider that should be a high swing-and-miss pitch. 

Carlos Alvarez, LHP, Padres: The uncertainty of the situation with righthander Roki Sasaki and whether the Padres would be able to sign Alvarez had other teams trying to sign him, but the 17-year-old Dominican lefty stayed with the Padres and ultimately boosted his bonus to $1 million. There’s ample projection remaining in his 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame to help him grow a fastball that has reached 94 mph. There’s feel for a slider that’s his best secondary pitch, though there are flashes of sink and fade with a changeup that could become a bigger weapon with more experience. 

Pedro Montero, RHP, Marlins: The Marlins have one of the best groups of pitchers in the DSL. They paid more for Defrank and Peña, but a more under-the-radar pitcher making noise now is Montero, who signed for $35,000 out of the Dominican Republic. He’s a 17-year-old who is a wiry 6-foot-1 with quick-twitch actions on the mound, where his fastball has increased from 94 mph coming into the year to now reaching 97 from a low-effort delivery. With his feel to manipulate both a slider and changeup, Montero has starter traits as an up-arrow pitcher. 

Yordan Rodriguez, RHP, Athletics: Rodriguez, a 17-year-old from Cuba, signed with the A’s for $400,000 with a projectable 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame and a fastball touching 92 mph from an easy operation. He’s added strength and velocity, now reaching 95 mph, and there should be more in the tank. Rodriguez has a good mix of pitchability and feel for both his curveball and changeup, so it’s a starter look made more exciting with the extra power behind his fastball. 

Ricardo Reyes, RHP, Athletics: The A’s signed Reyes out of the Dominican Republic for $250,000. He just turned 17 last month and has also seen his stuff improve since signing, going from a 91 mph fastball coming into the year to now reaching 95. At 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, Reyes has a wiry frame with projection remaining. His curveball has good spin and is ahead of his changeup. Venezuelan righthander Ricardo Osorio is another 17-year-old on the A’s DSL staff with similar traits—including a fastball up to 95—and gives the A’s another potential breakout pitching prospect to watch. 

Geremy Villoria, RHP, Phillies: Villoria checks a lot of boxes teams look for in a young starting pitcher. Signed out of Venezuela for $425,000, Villoria is 16 until Aug. 14, making him one of the youngest pitchers signed this year. There’s significant room for him to add weight to his 6-foot-3, 180-pound build and add to a fastball that has already reached 95 mph. He throws with a compact arm swing, gets good extension and shows feel to snap off a high spin slider that’s ahead of his changeup. 

Brian Tiburcio, RHP, Rockies: The Rockies signed a slew of pitchers this year who have the potential to take a step forward this year. One with a chance to develop an elite fastball is Tiburcio, a 17-year-old from the Dominican Republic who got $425,000. At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, he has an extra-large build with a fastball that touches 94 mph and has the potential to get to triple digits if everything clicks. He’s not wild but it is power over command, with a chance to develop a hard slider that’s further along than his changeup. 

Shai Romero, RHP, Dodgers: The Dodgers added Romero in December at the close of the 2024 international signing period. Romero is 17 until Aug. 22, so he was one of the youngest players in the 2024 class and will still pitch the entire DSL season as a 17-year-old. At 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, Romero has an extra-large build with a fastball that was up to 94 mph when he signed and is now up to 98 mph. It’s a power attack led by his fastball, along with a hard, cutter-like slider and occasional firm changeup. 

Anderson Diaz, LHP, Tigers: Diaz signed with the Tigers for $447,500, the second-highest bonus this year for a lefthander. It’s prototype building blocks for a 17-year-old lefty with a projectable frame (6-foot-3, 190 pounds), a fastball that has trended up to reach 92 mph with more in the tank and starter traits. Diaz can disrupt the timing of hitters with an advanced changeup that plays well off his fastball and shows feel to spin a curveball as well. 

Juan Fraide, RHP, Astros: So far all the pitchers we’ve listed here are 16 or 17, but when we look back, there are always pitchers who signed at older ages who end up being great big leaguers who just went under the radar. Last year, Astros righthander Anderson Brito—a $10,000 signing from Venezuela—dominated the DSL as a 19-year-old, finished the season in Low-A and became a top 10 prospect in the organization. It’s hard to match Brito’s ascent, but the Astros have another promising 19-year-old ticketed for the DSL in Fraide, who signed for $10,000 out of Mexico. Fraide is 5-foot-11, 160 pounds with a physically unassuming frame but with a fastball that reaches 96 mph and the ability to spin a slider and curveball above 3,000 rpm, along with feel for a changeup and a cutter that he mixes in. 

Top Of The Class

From 2009-2021, Pedro Strop pitched in 13 major league seasons as a reliever, first with the Rangers and Orioles before joining the Cubs, where he spent eight years and had most of his best seasons. His son, Royel Strop, is a 16-year-old center fielder who signed with the Cardinals for $1.4 million.

Strop is a wiry 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, an athletic lefty with high overall baseball acumen. He’s a patient hitter who makes good swing decisions to get ahead in counts and work his walks. Scouts were split on Strop’s pure hitting ability, with some concerned about swing-and-miss, but it’s a mature approach for his age and whippy bat speed for a player who lacks much strength yet but has room left to add good weight, driving the ball well to both alleys with occasional home run juice to his pull side. He’s a plus runner who should hold his speed as he gets stronger and has an above-average arm that could tick up as he fills out.

Names To Know

Kenly Hunter, OF, Nicaragua: The top prospect in Nicaragua this year—and one of the best players to come out of the country in the last several years—Hunter signed with the Cardinals for $700,000. Hunter, who turned 17 in May, played for Nicaragua last year in the U-18 World Cup Americas Qualifier, where he batted .423/.444/.577 in 27 plate appearances and tied for the tournament lead in hits (11).

He’s a lean, athletic 6 feet, 170 pounds with plus speed and at least a plus arm. He’s a former shortstop who has taken well to the outfield, where he’s showing good range and instincts for his age and projects to stick in center. Hunter is a righthanded hitter with an aggressive approach, a quick swing and doubles power with a chance for everything to tick up as he gains much-needed strength and gets more accustomed to seeing better velocity than he saw in Nicaragua. 

Miguel Hernandez, SS, Venezuela: Hernandez has been an up-arrow player since signing with the Cardinals for $500,000. He’s young for the class—he turns 17 on DSL Opening Day—and has a well-rounded skill with a bat that’s trending up. Hernandez is a wiry 6-foot shortstop with plus speed and fluid defensive actions. He’s athletic and light on his feet with soft hands, showing the attributes to stick at shortstop if he can improve his fringe-average arm with strength gains.

So far, the early returns have been encouraging with his offensive performance. Hernandez has a short righthanded swing that has gotten tighter and faster as he’s started to layer on strength, showing good bat-to-ball skills with a line-drive approach and alleys power. It’s likely a hit-over-power offensive game but with a chance for more of his doubles to turn into home runs over the next few years. 

Juan Rujano, C, Panama: Rujano signed with the Cardinals for $750,000, the top bonus this year for a Panamanian player. Rujano, 17, is 6-foot-3, 185 pounds who stands out for his power potential. It’s a power-over-hit offensive game from a righthanded hitter who drives the ball well now and has room on his frame to fill out and grow into bigger power. For a catcher his size, Rujano is loose, flexible and has a solid-average that could still get stronger, though he will have to smooth some things out with his receiving and blocking. He’s working his way back from a triceps injury but should be back early in the DSL season. 

Yeferson Portolatin, SS, Dominican Republic: Signed for $450,000, Portolatin is a 17-year-old, switch-hitting shortstop with a compact swing from both sides, with more efficiency and bat speed hitting lefthanded. He recognizes pitches well, has an eye for the strike zone and doubles power from his 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame. He’s a high-energy shortstop whose speed and arm strength are both a tick above-average with the tools to handle a middle infield spot, with second base more likely than shortstop long term. 

Daniel Gomez, RHP, Venezuela: The Cardinals signed Gomez, a 17-year-old righthander, for $350,000. He’s 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, a more strength-based than quick-twitch with a heavy fastball that touches 92 mph. He has a repeatable delivery to throw strikes, mixing in a curveball that’s ahead of his changeup. 

Sleeper Watch

For $75,000, the Cardinals signed 17-year-old Venezuelan shortstop Sebastian Dos Santos, who stands out for his glove. He’s a skinny 6-foot shortstop who defends his position well. He’s not a big runner, but he’s an instinctive fielder with a nose for the ball, soft hands and a good internal clock. Dos Santos is a switch-hitter who tracks the ball well with a contact-oriented approach and will need to add strength to drive the ball with more extra-base impact.

Top Of The Class

The biggest bonus by far for the White Sox in their 2025 class went to 18-year-old third baseman Alejandro Cruz, who signed for $2 million. Cruz was one of the better players in Cuba from an early age. He played for Cuba at the U-15 World Cup Qualifier in Venezuela in 2022, then later that year made the all-tournament team playing for Cuba at the U-15 World Cup in Mexico. He’s a year older than most 2025 signings, which should help his performance this year in the DSL, though scouts were split on his pure hitting ability.

Cruz is 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with a simple swing from the right side and he shows a solid sense of the strike zone, though some scouts thought he would run into issues against more advanced pitching. Part of that is because of his profile as a third baseman who can occasionally hit a ball out to his pull side and does have strength projection remaining but isn’t yet a big power threat. He defends his position better than most young third baseman signed internationally, showing quick reactions off the bat and an above-average arm. 

Names To Know

Orlando Patiño, OF, Venezuela: Patiño was going to sign with the Dodgers, but with the uncertainty of the Dodgers’ bonus pool availability heading into Jan. 15 with Roki Sasaki yet to announce his decision, Patiño opted to instead sign with the White Sox. He ended up getting more money from the White Sox, who signed him for $570,000.

Patiño is 6-foot-2, 203 pounds, a muscular build that’s physically mature for a 17-year-old with the strength and lift in his swing to blast balls out to his pull side and potentially grow into plus power. He’s a righthanded hitter with some rigidity to his swing, so it’s like a power-over-hit profile. He could see time at all three outfield spots but long term fits best in a corner. 

Jefrank Silva, INF, Venezuela: Silva’s bat is his calling card. At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Silva has a strong build for a 17-year-old and an efficient lefthanded swing. He uses his lower half well with good sequence to his swing. That should lead to good contact skills, with more strength than raw bat speed, so it’s more hit than power. His best defensive position is third base, though he could move around the infield this year with Cruz likely to get significant reps at third base. Silva signed with the White Sox for $350,000.

Alan Escobar, OF, Venezuela: A lefthanded outfielder, Escobar is a steady player with good instincts who signed with the White Sox for $350,000. He’s 16 until Aug. 3, so he’s one of the younger players in the class. He’s 6 feet, 185 pounds, an athletic frame who reads the ball well off the bat in center field, though as an average runner it’s not prototype center field speed. At his best he has shown the ability to recognize spin with a line-drive approach and gap power. 

Cesar Familia, RHP, Dominican Republic: Signed for $350,000, Familia is 6-foot-3, 200 pounds at 17 with a fastball up to 93 mph. He stands out for his physicality, present arm strength and a solid slider for his age. 

Yordani Soto, SS, Dominican Republic: Soto signed for $300,000 as a defensive-oriented shortstop who doesn’t turn 17 until Aug. 11, so he’s one of the youngest players in the 2025 class and will play nearly the entire season as a 16-year-old. He’s 5-foot-11, 160 pounds with plus speed, an above-average arm and moves around well at shortstop. It’s a glove-first profile for Soto, a switch-hitter who will need to make adjustments with his swing to make more contact.

Yobal Rodriguez, RHP, Cuba: Rodriguez, a 17-year-old who got $230,000, could be the best pitcher the White Sox signed this year. He’s 6-foot-2, 170 pounds with a quick arm and a fastball up to 93 mph now with mid-90s velocity that should be coming in the near future. Rodriguez has been a good strike-thrower with feel for a changeup that’s advanced for his age and ahead of his breaking ball, a slurvy curveball that could end up turning into a slider. 

Diego Natera, C, Venezuela: Natera is a stout 5-foot-10, 190 pounds but is an agile mover behind the plate. He’s 17 with a fringe-average arm should get to average and already plays up because of his efficient footwork and quick transfer. Signed for $225,000, Natera has performed well in preseason games leading into the DSL, showing the strength to drive the ball well to all fields with flashes of home run power. 

Frank Mieses, OF, Dominican Republic: Mieses signed for $175,000 and could end up the best position prospect in the class for the White Sox. He’s a lean, athletic 6-foot-1, 170 pounds with good plate discipline for a 17-year-old and wiry strength to drive the ball for hard, quality contact to all fields. He’s not a burner but he’s a tick above-average runner with strong defensive instincts in center field. 

Sleeper Watch

Most of the lower-bonus players the White Sox signed this year were pitchers. One of them to watch is Diego Perez, a 16-year-old Dominican righthander who got $80,000. He’s a good strike-thrower who has been up to 93 mph, should be touching the mid 90s soon and complements his fastball with a tight curveball that could develop into an out pitch. 

A deeper sleeper to keep an eye on is Dominican righthander Natanael Valerio, who signed for $15,000. Valerio turned 18 in March, so he had been eligible to sign in 2024, but he had been training as a shortstop who moved to the mound toward the end of last year. He’s 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, so while he’s not that big, he’s a quick-twitch athlete with good flexibility, a quick arm and a fastball up to 92 mph. He’s still learning to pitch, but he has high raw spin on his curveball with flashes of tight bite for that pitch to develop into a weapon for him.

Top Of The Class

He didn’t get the biggest bonus in the class, but outfielder Brailyn Antunez is already the highest-ranked player and most exciting player in Milwaukee’s system from this year, with some scouts considering him the best 2025 prospect in Venezuela.

Signed at 17 for $900,000, Antunez has a strong, athletic build (6 feet, 195 pounds) and consistently performed at a high level in games as an amateur. He’s a selective hitter who tracks pitches well, recognizes spin and controls the strike zone. It’s a high-contact bat from the right side of the plate with a mix of good bat speed and strength to drive the ball out of the park to his pull side now with the potential to develop 25-plus home run power.

It’s a dangerous offensive package, and while he’s not built like a typical lean center fielder, he has the tools to play center field. He’s a plus-plus runner with an arm that draws plus or better grades and has good defensive instincts for his age. 

The top bonus in the Brewers’ class went to 17-year-old Dominican center fielder Kenny Fenelon, who signed for $1.3 million.

Fenelon is 6 feet, 185 pounds, an exciting athlete and a power/speed threat in center field. He’s strong, lean, and can put on a show during batting practice with his barrel exploding through the zone from the right side of the plate to launch balls out of the park. Fenelon can hammer fastballs, though some scouts thought he would need to refine his swing and improve his pitch recognition to make more contact against breaking balls. It could end up a power-over-hit offensive game with the potential to hit 25 home runs.

His plus speed should translate to stolen bases and good range in center field, where he has a fringe-average arm. 

The Brewers signed 17-year-old Dominican shortstop Christopher Acosta for $1.1 million. He’s a true shortstop with a high probability to stick there and defend his position well. Acosta (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) is a fringe-average runner, but while he’s not a speedy shortstop, his instincts, hands and footwork are all advanced for his age and he has a solid-average arm with a chance to be an above-average defender.

Acosta has good hand-eye coordination that’s evident in the field and the plate, though his righthanded swing can get long and out of rhythm. He’s a line-drive hitter with upside to grow into more power, but he’s more of a defense-first shortstop. 

Names To Know

Isais Chavez, C, Venezuela: Signed for $480,000, Chavez is 5-foot-11, 193 pounds, a strong, stocky build with the attributes to stick at catcher. He blocks and receives well for 17 and can control the running game with a plus arm. He’s a righthanded hitter who showed a solid bat for a catcher as well during amateur events in Venezuela and Colombia.

Gerlyn Payano, OF, Dominican Republic: Payano has been on an upward trajectory over the last couple years. He has grown from 5-foot-8 early in the scouting process to now 6-foot-1, 192 pounds upon signing for $350,000 and just turning 17 on DSL Opening Day. Payano could have five average or better tools and a knack for hitting. He’s a lefty who doesn’t have a classic, pure swing, but despite an unorthodox look and steep path, he has performed well in games and drives the ball with impact already and the potential to develop above-average power. He’s a plus runner with a strong arm from a lower slot and good defensive instincts in center field. 

Alexander Frias, OF, Dominican Republic: The Brewers signed Frias—the younger brother of Guardians righthander Luis Frias—for $350,000. He’s 6-foot-3, 180 pounds at 17, with a flat lefthanded swing, a line-drive approach and a track record of frequent hard contact against live pitching. He has a plus arm and the physical projection for that tool to get even stronger, to the point where if he doesn’t hit, he could be an intriguing conversion candidate as a righthanded pitcher. 

Eryks Rivero, OF, Venezuela: Early in the scouting process, Rivero was one of the big names in Venezuela before signing with the Brewers for $300,000. Injuries before signing limited him, but there’s promising physicality and power potential for a 17-year-old. At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Rivero has impressive bat speed and righthanded power, driving the ball with impact when he connects in what looks to be a likely power-over-hit offensive game. He’s a good athlete with average speed who could see time in center field, though he most likely fits long term in a corner with the arm strength for right field. 

Nicolas Barrios, OF, Venezuela: The Brewers signed Barrios for $275,000 and have been well acquainted with him for years as the younger brother of Gregory Barrios, a shortstop they signed for $1 million in 2021 and traded to the Rays last year for righthander Aaron Civale. Barrios has a smaller frame (5-foot-9, 160 pounds) as a 17-year-old lefty who doesn’t have one carrying tool but is an instinctive player who takes advantage of his small strike zone, a sound swing and good bat control to put balls in play at a high clip with doubles pop. He could move around all three outfield spots. 

Sharlisson De La Rosa, 3B, Dominican Republic: De La Rosa signed with the Brewers for $200,000 as a 17-year-old after standing out for his strength and power. He’s 5-foot-10, 190 pounds with a thicker lower half, big bat speed for his age and power that he has shown the ability to translate against live pitching. De La Rosa was an outfielder as an amateur but the Brewers moved him to third base, with a chance to stay there or move back to either left field or potentially first base long term.

Francis Sosa, OF, Dominican Republic: Sosa has a strong build (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) at 17 with a pair of tools that jump out with his power and arm strength. He’s a righthanded hitter who can drive the ball with impact when he connects in a power-over-hit offensive profile and has a plus arm from right field. The Brewer signed Sosa for $200,000. 

Matthew Moses, SS, Venezuela: Moses, signed for $180,000, has a good track record of hitting in games in Venezuela as an amateur with a hit-over-power offensive game. A 17-year-old righthanded hitter who is 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Moses doesn’t have huge physical upside and he’s built like a catcher, with some scouts intrigued by the possibility of what he would look like behind the plate, but he’s an infielder for now with a strong arm, good footwork and range that likely fits better at third base than the middle infield long term. 

Joan Peña, LHP, Dominican Republic: Peña is a 17-year-old pitchability lefty the Brewers signed for $180,000. At 5-foot-11, 205 pounds, Peña has a compact build with a thick lower half and doesn’t offer huge physical projection, standing out more for his touch and feel for his secondaries than his power. He pitches in the upper-80s, throws strikes and shows ability to manipulate multiple offspeed pitches with his changeup and breaking ball. 

Leonard Rijo, SS, Dominican Republic: Rijo is just 5-foot-7, but the 17-year-old shortstop is an advanced defender for his age. Signed for $175,000, Rijo has clean actions and good quickness in the infield, where he’s an instinctive defender with a nose for the ball. A righthanded hitter, Rijo is a defense-first shortstop whose size likely limits how much power he will develop.

Sleeper Watch

The Brewers’ class is heavy on position players, but one under-the-radar pitcher to keep an eye on is Venezuelan lefthander Santiago Martinez, who signed for $80,000. He’s still 16, so he’s young for the class and started to trend up later in the scouting process. At 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, Martinez is reaching the low-90s now and generates excellent spin on a tight curveball from a sound, athletic delivery. 

The Brewers are also one of the most active teams in recent years signing players from Nicaragua. This year they signed Nicaraguan righthander Dustin Mayorquin for $27,500. He’s 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, a compact, thicker build at 17 with a fastball up to 93 mph. His pitchability is more advanced than a lot of young pitchers signed from Nicaragua in recent years, mixing a curveball, slider and changeup. 

Top Of The Class

The headliner of the Angels’ international signings this year is Gabriel Davalillo, whose $2 million bonus was the highest this year for a catcher. A 17-year-old from Venezuela, Davalillo grew up around baseball. His grandfather, outfielder Vic Davalillo, played 16 seasons in the major leagues. His father, David Davalillo, was a manager for several years in the lower levels of the Mets farm system after his playing career when he was a shortstop who reached Double-A. He’s the younger brother of David Davalillo Jr., a Rangers righthander in High-A who is one of the better pitching prospects in their organization. That background has helped give Davalillo a good foundation of instincts and baseball IQ.

Mostly he stands out for his offensive upside. Davalillo is 5-foot-11, 210 pounds, a strong, stout righthanded hitter with big power for a young catcher and the chance to develop into a 20-25 home run hitter. Some scouts thought it would be a power-over-hit offensive game, but those highest on Davalillo thought he combined his power with high contact skills and a good approach. Davalillo’s offense is ahead of his defense. He has the hands, above-average arm strength and game awareness that should help him stick behind the plate, but it’s a bigger body type for his age and he will have to work to improve his mobility and blocking. 

Names To Know

Yilver De Paula, SS, Dominican Republic: De Paula, 17, is an athletic, switch-hitting shortstop the Angels signed for $900,000. He’s 5-foot-11, 180 pounds with above-average speed and quick-twitch actions in the infield. He’s able to make both the flashy plays and be more consistent than most shortstops his age on the routine ones, finishing them with an above-average arm. De Paula doesn’t project to ever hit for big power, but he does put together quality at-bats with advanced swing decisions for his age and good contact skills with a line-drive approach and gap power. 

Yojancel Cabrera, SS, Dominican Republic: Cabrera is a 16-year-old, offensive-oriented shortstop the Angels signed for $400,000. He’s 6-foot-2, 186 pounds with a body type that should allow him to hold significant strength, which paired with his bat speed gives him a chance to develop average or potentially more raw power from the left side of the plate. Cabrera has an above-average arm and should get a chance to develop at shortstop, but with the Angels signing several shortstops, he could also get time at third base, which might end up his long-term defensive home. 

Jose Santana, SS, Dominican Republic: Santana is another shortstop the Angels signed for $400,000. He’s a skinny 6-foot-1, 170-pound shortstop with above-average speed and a quick first step and the actions to stick in the middle infield. Santana just turned 17 in April and will need to get stronger to do more damage on contact, but he has shown solid bat-to-ball skills with a line-drive approach and ability to work the count from the right side of the plate. 

Cesar Paredes, SS, Dominican Republic: Paredes is a righthanded-hitting shortstop the Angels signed for $350,000 with a lot of similarities to Santana. He’s on the younger end of the class—he turns 17 the first week of the DSL season—with a wiry 6-foot-1, 178-pound build, showing the athleticism and defensive actions to play in the middle infield. He’s an above-average runner with good bat-to-ball skills and gap power. 

Yelinson Betances, OF, Dominican Republic: Betances is a 17-year-old center fielder the Angels signed for $300,000. He’s 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, an above-average runner with a good mix of athleticism up the middle and strength projection from the right side of the plate. He drives the ball well for his age and has the physical upside to develop into a 20-plus home run threat. 

Junior Suriel, OF, Dominican Republic: Suriel is another athletic center fielder the Angels signed for $300,000. Suriel turns 17 on Aug. 23, so he will play all season at 16 and wouldn’t have been eligible to sign until 2026 had he been born nine days later. He’s a plus runner with the traits to stay in center field and has some sneaky pop at times from the right side of the plate but will need to get stronger to get to more extra-base impact. 

Albert Morel, RHP, Dominican Republic: The Angels paid $300,000 to sign Morel, who lacks much strength but has a tall, projectable build at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds at 17 with room to add to a fastball that has touched 92 mph. He’s a good athlete and strike-thrower for his age who looks like he should be throwing in the mid 90s or better once he packs on more weight, with his fastball his predominant pitch ahead of his curveball and changeup. 

Freddy Hernandez, LHP, Venezuela: Hernandez is a strong 6-foot-1, 190-pound lefty who signed with the Angels for $230,000. His fastball has already ticked up a bit since signing, coming into the year throwing 91 mph and now reaching 93. He doesn’t have the look of a pitcher who will have elite velocity, but he should have a solid fastball once he’s physically mature and has starter traits with his feel to mix three pitches, particularly an advanced changeup that helps him disrupt timing and is ahead of his curveball. 

Wilner Berroteran, RHP, Venezuela: Berroteran is 6-foot-3, 192 pounds, an athletic projectable frame to continue to add to a fastball that’s already improved since signing for $220,000. Berroteran is 17 and entered the year pitching up to 92 mph and is now touching 94 with more velocity still in the tank. He shows feel for a slider with three-quarters shape that’s his best offspeed pitch ahead of his changeup. 

Anthony Santa Cruz, OF, Cuba: Santa Cruz is an 18-year-old, lefthanded outfielder the Angels signed for $200,000. He’s 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, and while he is a year older than most 2025 signings, he has shown a good offensive approach that should translate to early offensive success in the DSL. A corner outfielder, Santa Cruz has the size and bat speed pointing to projectable power down the road that he’s showing in flashes now.

Felix Tapia, RHP, Dominican Republic: Signed for $200,000, Tapia is a lanky, athletic 6-foot-3, 165-pound righthander with lots of space left to fill out. He’s 17 with a fastball touching 91 mph, up slightly from before he signed, with potential for a lot more velocity on the way once he packs on much-needed weight. He’s a deeper projection arm who will flash feel for a curveball that’s ahead of his changeup. 

Sleeper Watch

With the way the Angels distributed their bonus pool money, they didn’t have many lower-dollar signings, but one pitcher from that group to watch is 18-year-old Dominican righthander Starling Reyes, a later addition to their class who signed in April and got $15,000. He’s a strong 6-foot-4, 205 pounds with a fastball up to 95 mph and flashes feel for a hard slider.

Top Of The Class

After Sasaki, the top signing for the Dodgers was expected to be catcher Francisco Rivero, who had moved from Arizona to Venezuela to live and train there. Instead, Major League Baseball didn’t allow Rivero to sign as an international free agent, so Rivero didn’t sign, had an outstanding spring season with Canyon del Oro High in Oro Valley, Ariz. and will be eligible for the 2026 MLB Draft. 

Arguably the best Latin American signing this year for the Dodgers was Adrian Torres, a 17-year-old lefthander from Panama who got $362,500, with some scouts considering him the best lefty signed in 2025. He was pitching in the upper 80s earlier in the scouting process, but his fastball cranked up to reach 96 mph by the time he signed and has since touched 97.

At 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, there’s still more physical projection to add to what’s already an elite fastball for his age. His slider has tight break and could give him another plus pitch that’s ahead of his changeup. As he’s come into more velocity, Torres is still finding the right balance between power and pitchability, but his athleticism bodes well for his ability to make adjustments with the potential to develop into a high-end starter if he’s in the zone with more consistency. 

Names To Know

Luis Tovar, INF, Venezuela: After Sasaki, the No. 2 bonus in the Dodgers’ class went to Tovar, a 17-year-old infielder who signed for $397,500. He’s 5-foot-11, 210 pounds, a thicker build without much physical projection remaining, but his righthanded bat is his calling card, in the mold of former Dodgers prospect Jeral Perez (now with the White Sox). He could see some time at shortstop but projects more as an offensive-oriented second baseman with good barrel control and consistent high quality contact from the right side of the plate. 

Moises Acacio, SS, Venezuela: Acacio is a skinny 5-foot-11, 155-pound shortstop the Dodgers signed for $197,500. Acacio, 17, projects to stick at shortstop, where he stands out for his combination of quick-twitch athleticism and instincts, fielding his position well with an above-average arm. He’s a righthanded hitter with a line-drive approach who will need to get stronger to do more damage on contact. 

Luis Luna, SS, Colombia: Luna is still 16, so he’s young for the class, and signed for $137,500. At 6 feet, 170 pounds, he’s a steady defender at shortstop, with more instincts than quick-twitch athleticism, showing a reliable glove to stick in the middle infield. There’s more physical projection remaining in his 6-foot, 170-pound frame, with a chance for his righthanded bat to tick up once he layers on more strength. 

Sleeper Watch

One pitcher to watch for the Dodgers this year in the Dominican Summer League who signed last year but will make his pro debut this year is 6-foot-5, 235-pound righthander Shai Romero. The Dodgers signed Romero at the close of the 2024 signing period when he was touching 94 mph and he has since reached 98 mph. His fastball is his best pitch, with a short, cutter-like slider that’s ahead of his changeup. Romero was one of the youngest players in the 2024 class, turning 17 last year on Aug. 22, so he will still pitch all of the DSL season as a 17-year-old. 

Another Dominican pitcher the Dodgers signed at the buzzer of the 2024 signing period who will debut this year in the DSL was Samuel Savinon, an 18-year-old who trained as a position player but moved to the mound before signing. He’s an extra-large 6-foot-6, 230 pounds with a fastball up to 96 mph and still learning his offspeed stuff with a slider and changeup. 

From this year’s signing class, two lower bonus pitchers to watch from Mexico are Luis Gamez and Bryan Lara. Gamez, 18, is 6 feet, 176 pounds with a fastball that was up to 92 mph when he signed but is now reaching 96 mph, along with a slider that’s ahead of his changeup. He’s the brother of righthander Tadeo Gamez, who signed with the Cubs this year. Lara, 17, is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds with a fastball up to 92 mph and feel to manipulate both his slider and changeup. 

The biggest wild card in the class is righthander Joseph Deng, who became the first player from Uganda to ever sign with a major league club. He’s 6-foot-7, 185 pounds, an extraordinary long-limbed frame with tons of space left to add weight and grow a fastball already to 95 mph that he complements with a splitter. He’s a $10,000 signing who is understandably raw given his background and experience.

Top Of The Class

The top signing this year for the Orioles was Jose Peña, a 16-year-old Dominican shortstop who got $997,500. Peña will be 16 until the final week of the DSL season in August, so he’s one of the youngest players in the 2025 class. He stood out early in the scouting process for his athleticism and contact skills, albeit without much impact yet coming from his thin frame. Now he’s 6-foot-2, 160 pounds, still wiry but with more speed and higher exit velocities.

He has shown good hittability for his age with sneaky pull power for a player who isn’t that strong yet but has lots of space left to fill out and grow into significantly more home run juice. He’s a plus-plus runner with a good chance to stay at shortstop, where he is a fluid mover with good hands and a tick above-average arm that could get stronger as he fills out. 

Names To Know

Meykel Baro, SS, Cuba: Baro has been an up-arrow prospect over the past year. He hit .315/.458/.463 in 73 plate appearances in Cuba’s 16U national league in 2022, trended up while training in the Dominican Republic and then signed for $497,500. Baro is 16 until Aug. 14, so he’s one of the youngest players in the class. He’s 6-foot-1, 172 pounds with wide shoulders and more strength projection remaining to add to what’s already a good blend of tools and skills.

Baro’s a righthanded hitter who has performed well in games with a balance of both hitting ability and power that should continue to climb as he fills out. He’s an athletic shortstop with plus speed, a solid-average arm and a chance to stick at the position, though if he does move to third base, he could have the offensive profile to fit there too. 

Johanse Gomez, OF, Dominican Republic/Virgin Islands: Born in the Virgin Islands, Gomez grew up there but signed out of the Dominican Republic for $747,500. He’s a lefthanded outfielder who stands out for his offensive upside and power potential, especially once he fills out his 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame. He’s an average runner who could see some time in center field but most likely will slide into an outfield corner.

Ronald Terrero, INF, Cuba: The Orioles signed Terrero for $397,500. In Cuba’s 16U national league in 2022, he ranked fifth in batting average and seventh in OBP by hitting .440/.561/.580 with 14 walks and three strikeouts in 66 plate appearances, then later that year played for Cuba in the U-15 World Cup. Now 17, Terrero is 6 feet, 190 pounds, a righthanded hitter whose bat is his calling card. He has a smooth swing and a good offensive track record of making good swing decisions and putting the ball in play at a high clip with mostly alleys power. Terrero trained as a shortstop before signing but projects more as an offensive-minded infielder, likely at third or second base. 

Yeison Acosta, C, Cuba: Previously linked to the Mets before they made changes with their international scouting department, Acosta signed with the Orioles for $372,500. He’s 5-foot-11, 190 pounds at 17, a switch-hitting, offensive-minded catcher. Acosta doesn’t have a textbook swing, but he has good hand-eye coordination with a knack for barreling balls in games and the power potential to grow into a 15-plus home run hitter. He will need to improve his defense but his athleticism gives him a chance to stay behind the plate. 

Lisandro Sanchez, OF, Dominican Republic: Sanchez might be the most tooled-up player the Orioles signed this year. There’s a lot of rawness that comes with those tools, but he’s a strongly-built 6 feet, 198 pounds with plus-plus speed and the physical maturity that helps him drive the ball with impact from the right side of the plate that could turn into plus raw power. His arm earns plus or better grades as well, so while the Orioles signed him for $297,500 as a position player, if things don’t click offensively, pitching could be a backup plan. 

Kelvin Zapata, LHP, Dominican Republic: There’s a lot to like with the way Zapata is trending. He’s a wiry 6-foot-1, 155-pound lefty who was throwing 89 mph earlier in the scouting process and, since signing for $287,500, has been touching 95 mph in preseason action. Zapata has shown good control and feel for a slider with good lateral break. He’s also on the younger side of the class having just turned 17 days a couple days before the start of the DSL season. 

Frandy Guillen, 3B, Dominican Republic: Playing as a 16-year-old in the U-18 World Cup Americas Qualifier in Panama last year in August, Guillen led the tournament in hitting when he slashed .462/.600/.462 with six walks and three strikeouts in 20 trips to the plate. Guillen, now 17, signed with the Orioles for $247,500. He’s an offensive-oriented corner outfielder with an advanced bat from the right side of the plate and flashes of over-the-fence power to his pull side. Guillen is 6-foot-1, 190 pounds and will need to work on his defense and mobility to stick at third base and avoid a shift to first base, but he should be one of the Orioles’ better hitters in the DSL this year.

Jose Flores, C, Venezuela: Flores doesn’t have one standout tool, but he has a balance of steady skills at the plate and behind it. He’s 5-foot-11, 165 pounds at 17, a righthanded hitter who performed well in games as an amateur with gap power. Signed for $247,500, Flores has good catch-and-throw skills for his age with good lateral agility, footwork and a fringe-average arm.

Jorge Drullard, INF, Dominican Republic: Drullard is a middle infielder who signed for $247,500 on the strength of his speed and athleticism. He’s 5-foot-10, 155 pounds, a line-drive, spray hitter from the right side of the plate with plus speed and the versatility that could fit in the infield or outfield. 

Rayner Herrera, OF, Dominican Republic: The bat is what stands out most with Herrera, who signed with the Orioles for $222,500. He’s 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, a 17-year-old with a sound lefthanded swing and a good approach for his age to discern balls from strikes with gap power. Herrera is an average runner who could move around all three outfield spots and might land in a corner outfield spot, so getting stronger to grow into bigger power will be key for him. 

Samuel Teran, RHP, Venezuela: Teran, who signed with the Orioles for $207,500, will pitch all season as a 16-year-old. He’s one of the youngest players in the 2025 class—had he been born eight days later, he wouldn’t have been eligible to sign until 2026—but he’s already a good strike-thrower with lively stuff. He mostly pitches in the upper 80s and can tickle 90 mph. It’s not elite velocity for his age, but his fastball gets excellent carry up in the zone that helps it play up and he should have more power to come behind that pitch once he fills out his projectable 6-foot-2, 168-pound frame. He shows feel to spin his curveball and mixes in an occasional changeup, promising traits if he’s able to throw harder. 

Emmanuel Peña, RHP, Dominican Republic: Peña is an athletic, wiry 6-foot righthander with an extremely fast arm. Peña doesn’t have much size or strength yet, but his fastball has already jumped to reach 94 mph as a 17-year-old, an increase from a year ago when he was scraping 90 mph. He shows solid pitchability for his age with his fastball and curveball his two main pitches. Peña signed with the Orioles for $157,500. 

Benjamin Vasquez, RHP, Dominican Republic: Vasquez, signed for $152,500, is an athletic, 17-year-old righthander with the strength projection in his frame to add to a fastball that touches 93 mph. He’s still learning to harness his stuff in the strike zone with more frequency, but shows feel to manipulate both his slider and changeup, giving him starter traits. 

Sleeper Watch

Outfielder Fabian Cordero had a low profile training in a smaller program in Venezuela and could end up a bargain for $67,500. At 5-foot-10, 176 pounds, Cordero is a 17-year-old, lefthanded outfielder who has been performing at a high level in games. It’s not tools that immediately jump out with Cordero, but he is a promising hitter with a low swing-and-miss rate and makes consistently quality contact to drive the ball for doubles and home runs against live pitching.

Top Of The Class

The price tag went up for Dominican lefthander Carlos Alvarez after he had an open workout for teams on Jan. 15 when he was still unsigned while teams were waiting on Sasaki. The Padres ultimately were able to keep him, signing him for $1 million, the biggest bonus for any lefthander in the 2025 signing period. Alvarez is 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, a highly projectable, athletic frame for him to continue adding to a fastball that reached 93 mph before he signed and has inched up to 94. He shows feel for a breaking ball into the low 80s that has three-quarters break at times with two-plane depth. It should eventually develop into more of true slider with the potential to be an average-or-better pitch. The slider is his best secondary pitch, but he will flash sink and fade on his changeup at times. 

The highest ranked player in the Padres system right now from San Diego’s 2025 international class is 17-year-old Venezuelan shortstop Deivid Coronil, who signed for $900,000. He has a long, expandable frame that has kept growing to 6-foot-4, 180 pounds with tons of space left to add muscle to his lanky build. He’s a switch-hitter whose long limbs left some scouts with concerns about swing-and-miss early in the evaluation process, but others liked his hitting ability and natural loft in his swing from the left side, where he flashes home run power now and could develop into a 20-25 home run threat. Coronil has the tools and athleticism to stick at shortstop, though part of whether he will stay there long term depends on how he develops physically. He’s a plus runner and has a strong arm that could end up another plus tool once he fills out. 

Dominican shortstop Jhoan De La Cruz signed with the Padres for $1 million. At 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, De La Cruz has a smaller to medium frame at 17 with solid skills across the board and a chance to stick at shortstop. There’s no one carrying tool with De La Cruz, but he shows good bat-to-ball skills from both sides of the plate with a line-drive approach and doubles power. His ability to get on base will likely have to drive his offensive game as a player whose frame doesn’t point toward big power in the future. He’s an average runner who has good hands in the field and an above-average arm. 

Names To Know

Sebastian Peña, OF, Venezuela: Peña signed with the Padres for $600,000. He’s a 17-year-old lefty who is 6-foot-1, 180 pounds with a sound swing with the strength behind it to drive the ball out of the park to his pull side. Scouts highest on Peña liked his ability to hit in games, while others thought it would end up a power-over-hit profile. He’s an average runner who could move around all three outfield spots but likely projects best in a corner. 

Yonaiker Hernandez, SS, Venezuela: Signed for $100,000, Hernandez is 6 feet, 155 pounds with the versatility to play all over the field. He could see time at every position this year between the infield and outfield as an athletic righthanded hitter with a fast bat for his skinny frame from the right side of the plate. 

Sleeper Watch

Most of the Padres’ signings outside their top three players were spread around to an array of players in the $10,000 to $30,000 range. Righthander Miguel Ledesma, signed for $25,000, is an 18-year-old up to 95 mph from an athletic 6-foot, 175-pound build. It’s a loose, easy delivery with long limbs and the potential to add more velocity, pairing his fastball with a breaking ball that gets in between a slider and curveball and likely shapes into a slider in time.

The Padres continued to be among the more active teams in Mexico, signing five players from there this year, including 17-year-old righthander Jesus Castro, who is the younger brother of Padres Double-A righthander Manuel Castro. Signed for $10,000, Castro is 5-foot-11, 155 pounds and throws strikes with a fastball up to 92 mph and tight spin on his slider. 

Santiago Vargas will miss the Dominican Summer League season due to injury, but long term he looks like an intriguing sleeper for his offensive potential. A 17-year-old, switch-hitting infielder from Colombia signed for $10,000, Vargas is 5-foot-10, 175 pounds and played winter ball last year for Cartegena in the Colombian Professional Baseball League, where he hit .328/.358/.443 in 61 at-bats facing older competition. It’s a flat path with good barrel control to cover the plate well with a hit-over-power offensive game. He has a chance to stick at shortstop and should fit somewhere in the infield at higher levels.

Top Of The Class

The Giants signed 17-year-old Dominican shortstop Josuar Gonzalez for $2,997,500, the fifth-highest bonus for any player in the 2025 international signing period. Some scouts considered Gonzalez the top player in Latin America this year. He’s a quick-burst, explosive player with a lean, athletic frame at 5-foot-11, 170 pounds. He’s a switch-hitter with excellent hand speed, allowing him to snap the barrel through the zone and generate the bat speed to drive the ball out of the park from both sides of the plate.

Against live pitching, his timing can be inconsistent when he gets overly aggressive, but scouts highest on Gonzalez liked his hitting ability from both sides. He’s also a plus-plus runner, which should make him a high stolen base threat, and he has the first-step quickness that stands out at shortstop. He’s an agile, acrobatic shortstop with bouncy actions, good hands, range, and an above-average arm to stick at the position and develop into an above-average defender.

Outfielder Djean Macares signed with the Giants for $1,097,500, the top bonus this year for a player from Aruba. Macares, 17, drew praise from scouts for his hitting ability, particularly for a player outside the typical hotbeds for talent in the international market. Macares, who also spent a lot of time training in Florida before he signed, is 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, a lefty with a medium frame and a knack for being on time and on the barrel. It’s an easy, compact swing with the ability to maneuver the barrel to get to pitches throughout the strike zone and put balls in play at a high clip.

Macares is a line-drive hitter with mostly doubles power and a frame that doesn’t lend itself to big power upside, so it’s likely to be a hit-over-power profile long term as well. As a fringe-average runner, he doesn’t have typical center field speed, but he’s a good athlete who moves around well in the outfield and has good instincts, so he could rotate around all three outfield spots in the lower levels.

Names To Know

Yulian Barreto, SS, Venezuela: The third seven-figure bonus the Giants paid this year went to Barreto, a 17-year-old who signed for $1,097,500. In the early stages of the scouting process for the 2025 class, Barreto generated a lot of attention for his skills at shortstop. At 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, Barreto hasn’t grown much since then, but his hands, footwork and body control are all good, and he can finish plays with a plus arm. He’s a righthanded hitter who sprays line drives around the field with occasional doubles and doesn’t project to be a big power threat. 

Alexander Camacaro, SS, Venezuela: Signed for $212,500, Camacaro is 5-foot-9, 150 pounds—a frame that doesn’t have much strength yet, with skills that stand out more than his raw tools. He’s a righthanded hitter with good bat-to-ball skills, gap power and a fundamentally sound game for his age with good all-around instincts.

Miguel Caraballo, C, Venezuela: Caraballo is 16 until Aug. 26, meaning he wouldn’t have been eligible to sign until 2026 had he been born a week later. Instead, he signed with the Giants for $172,500 and will play the entire season as a 16-year-old. He’s 6 feet, 190 pounds—a strong build for his age that helps him drive the ball with authority from both sides of the plate. It’s a strength-based game with a power-over-hit profile and a strong arm, and he could stick behind the plate if his receiving improves. 

Sleeper Watch

The Giants signed Carlos Martinez for $47,500, but despite a smaller bonus, Martinez developed into one of the better catchers in the 2025 class. A 17-year-old from Venezuela, Martinez makes frequent contact with a loose, easy swing from both sides of the plate, giving him the potential to get on base at a high clip for a catcher with gap power from his 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame. He projects to stick behind the plate as well with good catch-and-throw skills for his age.