Toronto Blue Jays 2025 International Signings Review

Top Of The Class

The Blue Jays’ top signing this year is 17-year-old Dominican shortstop Cristopher Polanco, who got $2,297,500, the No. 9 bonus overall for a Latin American player in the 2025 class. Polanco drew praise from scouts for his hitting ability. He’s 5-foot-11, 185 pounds with a compact, fluid lefthanded swing. It’s sound hitting mechanics combined with an advanced offensive approach, able to barrel good velocity with the adjustability to produce a high contact rate. Many scouts viewed Polanco as a hit-over-power offensive profile, but he has strong hands and occasional sneaky juice to his pull side, so some think he could end up with surprising power in his prime.

Polanco’s bat has been his calling card, with some scouts viewing him as a future offensive-oriented second basemen, but the progress he has made defensively gives him a greater chance to continue at shortstop. An average runner, Polanco isn’t a typical quick-twitch athlete for shortstop, but he has good body control, improved hands and footwork and arm strength that has ticked up to become an average tool with the ability to throw from different angles. 

Dominican shortstop Juan Sanchez signed with the Blue Jays for $997,500. A leader on the field other players gravitate toward, Sanchez stands out for his size and defense. He’s 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, a big frame for a 17-year-old shortstop, but he moves around with good quickness and agility in the field. He’s a tick above-average runner light on his feet for someone his size with soft hands, good instincts, range and an easy throwing stroke with above-average arm strength that could still tick up. As a righthanded hitter, Sanchez has the size and strength to drive the ball well when he’s on time. There’s swing-and-miss he will have to get under control, but he has the look of a hitter who should grow into above-average raw power. 

Names To Know

Elaineiker Coronado, SS, Venezuela: Jose Coronado was a shortstop who reached Triple-A with the Mets. His son, Elaineiker, signed with the Blue Jays as a 17-year-old for $797,500. Coronado is a baseball rat whose upbringing shows in his outstanding baseball IQ throughout all facets of the game. A member of Venezuela’s U-18 World Cup team in 2023, Coronado grew up playing in a lot of games and it shows in his baseball savvy.

That’s especially true at the plate, where he routinely puts together quality at-bats with good swing decisions and bat-to-ball skills from the left side of the plate. At 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, Coronado isn’t that big and he lacks much strength yet, so he will need to get stronger to produce more extra-base impact. He’s an instinctive infielder with good actions and should be able to handle a middle infield spot, whether it’s at shortstop or second base. 

Kennew Blanco, SS, Venezuela: Blanco had been set to sign with the Blue Jays in 2024, but after a discrepancy with his age, MLB made him ineligible to sign until this year. Blanco, who turns 19 on June 21, signed for $597,500 and is a physical 6-foot-3, 205 pounds. Due to Blanco’s status before signing, there weren’t many scouts who saw him, so there’s more uncertainty in his evaluation, but he has flashed power and feel to hit from the right side of the plate. He has the actions and arm strength to play on the left side of the field. 

Elian Reyes, OF, Dominican Republic: Reyes is an imposing 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, a huge frame from a player who is still 16 and one of the younger players in the 2025 class. Signed for $257,500, Reyes is a lefthanded hitter who has shown a good offensive approach with the strength projection to develop into a big power bat in a corner outfield spot. 

Diego Arce, C, Mexico: Arce is a 17-year-old catcher the Blue Jays signed for $185,000. He’s 5-foot-10, 230 pounds, a thicker frame that he will have to work to stay on top of his conditioning, but he’s strong for his age and that leads to big power. It’s a power-over-hit offensive game with the ability to drive the ball for impact to all fields. He has the game acumen and solid catch-and-throw skills that should allow him to stay behind the plate with a fringe-average arm that could tick up. 

Miguel Pantoja, RHP, Mexico: Signed for $177,500, Pantoja is 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, a physically mature frame for a 17-year-old with a strong lower half and a good delivery. There’s a good mix of stuff and pitchability for Pantoja to project as a starter, pitching off a fastball that reaches 94 mph. Pantoja shows good feel for pitching and to spin a curveball that’s his most advanced secondary pitch ahead of his changeup. 

Raduan Perez, RHP, Venezuela: Perez is enormous. He’s 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, a towering presence on the mound, but he’s also one of the youngest players in the class. Had he been born five days later, Perez wouldn’t have been eligible to sign until 2026, but instead he will pitch all season at 16 years old. Signed for $177,500, Perez moves around with surprising athleticism and coordination for such a young, long-limbed pitcher. His stuff is still a deeper projection, pitching off a fastball up to 90 mph that’s ahead of his slider, but the physical upside, youth and body control make for an intriguing foundation. 

Cristhian Duarte, RHP, Cuba: Duarte joined Toronto’s class later in the process, signing in April for $147,500. He’s 6-foot-3, 180 pounds at 17, an athletic, projectable pitcher with good feel for his secondary stuff. Duarte throws strikes with his fastball that reaches 91 mph and shows ability to manipulate multiple offspeed pitches, particularly an advanced changeup with split-like tumble to get swing-and-miss against both lefties and righties, as well as a slider he has feel to spin. 

Sleeper Watch

The Blue Jays signed a pair of prospects from Europe this year. One is Giacomo Taschin, an 18-year-old lefty from Italy who got $75,000. Taschin was the MVP of the U-18 European Championship last year in Germany, where he had a 1.00 ERA in 25 innings with a tournament-best 22 strikeouts and three walks over 14 innings. He’s 6 feet, 200 pounds and has seen a steady upward trend in his velocity over the past couple years, pitching in the mid 80s a year ago and now has been up to 91 mph. It’s a simple, repeatable delivery that helps him throw strikes and flash a quality changeup for his age too. 

The Blue Jays also signed 17-year-old Keegan Pieternella out of the Netherlands for $57,500. Pieternella, who played for the Netherlands in the U-18 World Cup in 2023 when he was 15, is 5-foot-8, 170 pounds, a switch-hitter who is more advanced from the left side of the plate. He signed as a catcher but will get exposure at second base and the outfield as well.