Dominican Republic Steps Up

The Dominican Republic is one of the premier countries in the world when it comes to major league talent. It’s the biggest source of talent for MLB clubs signing international free agents. Yet that talent level typically has not translated to international tournament success at the youth level. For the U-18 tournaments, that’s to be expected; countries like the United States and Japan can bring their top high school players, while the top players in that age bracket from the Dominican Republic don’t play because they’re already in professional baseball.

Yet even at the younger levels, the Dominican Republic hasn’t typically put together results on par with the caliber of talent in the country. That changed in the U-15 Pan American tournament, where the Dominican Republic went 5-0 in pool play, then lost 5-4 to Puerto Rico in the championship game.

The one time the Dominican lineup struggled was against Panama’s starter, Jose Serva, a lefty who didn’t have an overpowering fastball but had good feel for pitching and was able to land his breaking ball for strikes. Amateur hitters in the Dominican Republic are accustomed to seeing big velocity from a young age but don’t face many pitchability lefties, so their offense was scoreless through five innings until they got into the bullpen and rallied for an 11-10 win in extra innings.

Prospects To Watch From The Tournament

Dominican shortstop Alfredo Sena (Braves, eligible to sign Jan. 15, 2027) should get one of the biggest bonuses in his class and was the star of the tournament, leading the Dominican team in nearly every statistical category, including three home runs, one of which was a walkoff homer in extra innings to beat Panama. The mix of lefthanded hitting ability, consistent quality at-bats and power was extremely impressive.

The inning before Sena hit the walkoff, Dominican shortstop Wandy Asigen (Yankees, 2026) got them to extra innings with arguably the most clutch hit of the tournament. With the Dominican Republic down to its final out trailing 5-2 in the seventh, Asigen pulled a three-run homer to right-center field to tie the game. Asigen has excellent bat speed and raw power, whistling the barrel through the zone aggressively to drive the ball with impact.

Another dangerous hitter in the Dominican lineup, Dominican shortstop Cesar Altagracia (Padres, 2027), took some of the most consistent quality at-bats of any player in the tournament. He’s a physical 6-foot-2 lefthanded hitter who showed good feel for the strike zone, worked deep counts and combined a mature approach with the ability to drive the ball for extra-base damage, including three triples.

Dominican outfielder Miguel Grullon (Rangers, 2027) showed a fluid, low-effort stroke from the left side starting from his swing of the tournament, sending a 1-0 pitch for a home run to right-center field. Grullon should be getting one of the top bonuses in his class with his mix of hitting ability and power potential.

The big name on Venezuela’s team was outfielder Francisco Renteria (Phillies, 2026), who should get one of the top bonuses in his class. Renteria’s swing and hitting ability stood out from a very early stage in the process, but he’s grown to become a physical, power-hitting center fielder who could end up a corner outfielder. Renteria hit .313/.450/.563 with a pair of triples, four walks and two strikeouts at the tournament.

Renteria and Jesus Chavez (Rangers, 2026) both stuck out for their physicality in Venezuela’s lineup. Chavez showed his righthanded power stroke from a compact swing in the biggest moment of the tournament for Venezuela, hitting a walkoff home run in a 7-5 win over Brazil in the fifth-place game, earning his country a spot in the U-15 World Cup in August.

Cuba Draw Scouts, But Struggles On Field

The decline of the Cuban national team and the quality of players in Serie Nacional, the country’s top league, has been obvious over the last decade. Now even at the youth levels, Cuba’s top teams are no longer as stacked as they once were.

The top Cuban players in their age group are leaving the country as teenagers, sometimes at 12 or 13, and going to the Dominican Republic to train and try to sign with a major league team. Any time Cuba brings a U-18 or a U-15 team to an international tournament, that’s going to draw a heavy scouting contingent for evaluators to get what might be their only in-person looks at a player before he leaves Cuba. That was again the case here, but the Cuban team finished in seventh place out of 12 teams with a 2-3 record, including an 11-1 loss to Nicaragua with wins over Peru and Guatemala.

Scouts left the tournament feeling the prospect level on the team was light. That’s not necessarily a sign that the talent of Cuban baseball is down, but that the exodus of the country’s top youth talent has decimated their younger national teams. There’s a formidable team of young Cuban players that could be built with prospects from Cuba who are training in the Dominican Republic and aren’t allowed to play for this team.

Top Players I Saw Around The DR

Padres catcher Ethan Salas is a special talent, already the No. 10 prospect in baseball at 17 after signing on Jan. 15, 2023. Older brother Jose Salas, a 20-year-old infielder who signed with the Marlins in 2019 for $2.8 million, is with the Twins in High-A Cedar Rapids after coming over in the trade that sent Luis Arraez to the Marlins.

Their younger brother, shortstop Andrew Salas (Marlins, 2025), is next in line to get one of the top bonuses in his class on Jan. 15. Salas is a switch-hitter who, like his brothers, was born and raised in Florida, but will sign as an international free agent out of Venezuela, with Salas currently training in the Dominican Republic. He showed a good clock for the game both in the field and at the plate, with smooth, under control actions in the dirt. A switch-hitter, Salas in BP showed a knack for backspinning balls deep to left-center field from the left side of of the plate. In a game, he faced only righties and took all of his at-bats lefthanded, drawing three walks and hitting a double down the left field line.

Dominican shortstop Josuar Gonzalez (Giants, 2025) looked like one of the elite players eligible to sign on Jan. 15. A 5-foot-10 switch-hitter, Gonzalez shows explosive actions in multiple ways. He’s a plus-plus runner with quick-twitch actions in the infield, while his fast hands at the plate help him generate good bat speed to be able to drive the ball with impressive power for his size. For some scouts, he’s the best prospect for 2025 out of the Dominican Republic because of his combination of athleticism, explosive tool set, ability to play a premium position and hit from both sides of the plate.

Angeibel Gomez (Royals, 2026) showed why he’s one of the top players in Venezuela for Jan. 15, 2026. A long, lean righthanded hitter, Gomez has significant physical projection remaining and is already standing out for his offensive performance in games with hard contact. In a game I saw, he hit doubled twice (one pulled off the left field fence, the other down the third base line into the left field corner), singled and drew a walk.

He shined defensively in center field, where he showed strong instincts on three plays, one where he broke well off the bat and showed good range into the left-center field gap, another where he did the same on a catch in the right-center gap and the most impressive a leaping catch running back to the wall on a fly ball hit over his head, a play that would give most outfielders this age all kinds of trouble.

The Signing Process Is Broken, MLB Isn’t Fixing It

Whenever I’m in the Dominican Republic, every agent wants to show me their top players. That’s always been the case. Except now, instead of agents wanting me to see their top player for the next class or the one after that, they want to show their top player for 2028 or 2029. Players who are 13, 12, even 11. Many of their top players for 2025, 2026 and 2027 are already committed.

For the most part, the trainers don’t like where the international signing system has gone. Teams are reaching agreements to sign players when they’re 13 or younger, meaning the trainers have to get the players ready to be showcased and reach an agreement even earlier. These are non-binding agreements with no contractual guarantee of anything once the player is officially eligible to sign his contract four years later. 

MLB’s solution to slow down the signing process has been to try to implement an international draft. The only time MLB typically even publicly acknowledges the reality of how international prospects are committing to teams at such an early age is when a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is nearing and the league is trying to make a PR case that the draft is the only solution to the problems in the international signing process.

Trying to get the union to agree to an international draft as Plan A is fine, but when that doesn’t work—and it hasn’t worked going back over several CBA negotiations—Plan B for the commissioner’s office can’t just be to do nothing, wait around for another four years and try to get a draft pushed through in the next agreement. Something needs to be done whether a draft ever happens or not.

I’m not saying everything here is a simple fix. But if they really wanted to, the commissioner’s office could solve a lot of these problems by the summer. Club officials and the scouts who work on the ground in Latin America would largely (though not universally) welcome change to slow things down. Signing players at 16 is hard enough; I don’t know many scouts who want their jobs to be based on trying to predict the future of 13-year-old players or trying to find a player at 12 before other teams identify him. The trainers would generally be in favor of slowing the process down as well.

Yesterday was the 10-year anniversary of the story I wrote that went in depth on the issues of early agreements, of how teams were competing to sign 14-year-old players. It’s so long ago that one of the amateur prospects mentioned in the story who wasn’t eligible to sign for another year—a 15-year-old Vladimir Guerrero Jr.—is two years away from becoming a major league free agent. All of the concerns from team officials and trainers voiced in the story still hold true today, only now the deals are being struck even earlier.

MLB has had an obvious, public problem for a decade, and it has only enabled the problem to get worse.

Yamamoto is the most decorated Japanese pitcher to ever come to MLB, which is saying something considering his predecessors include Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideo Nomo. He won the last three Sawamura Awards, the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award, as well as three straight Pacific League MVP awards, something last accomplished by Ichiro Suzuki. The Dodgers signed him to a 12-year, $325 million contract, making him the highest-paid pitcher in major league history.

Yamamoto is a major league-ready, frontline starter and would be the undisputed top pitching prospect in baseball if he were eligible. He has three plus pitches with a mid-90s fastball that reaches 99 mph, a 76-78 mph curveball that freezes hitters on both sides of the plate and a diving 88-91 mph splitter that induces ground balls and empty swings. He also has an above-average slider he can shorten into a cutter and ties it all together with plus control and exceptional athleticism and durability. He has equivalent or better upside than Paul Skenes, the top-ranked pitching prospect on the BA Top 100, and considerably less risk given his polish and proven dominance in Nippon Professional Baseball, the highest level of baseball in the world outside of MLB.

The question is not whether Yamamoto would be the top pitching prospect in baseball, but the top propsect overall. Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday and Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio similarly project to be franchise cornerstones and have more chances to make an impact as everyday position players. At the same time, Yamamoto has considerably less risk than both given his experience in NPB. Yamamoto would have a very compelling argument to be the No. 1 prospect on the BA Top 100 and would be no lower than No. 3.

JUNG HOO LEE

Lee jumped straight from high school to the Korean major leagues and broke the KBO rookie record for hits as an 18-year-old. He progressed rapidly into the country’s biggest star and won the KBO MVP Award in 2022. Overall, he hit.340/.407/.491 while winning five Gold Glove awards in seven professional seasons in Korea. The Giants signed him to a six-year, $113 million contract, the largest contract ever for an Asian-born hitter coming to MLB.

Lee is a pure lefthanded hitter with a smooth, fast swing. He has elite–strike zone discipline and consistently drives hittable pitches on a line when he gets a pitch he likes. He’s not overly physical and he’ll likely have an adjustment period against high-velocity fastballs in MLB, but his bat speed, plate discipline and sweet lefthanded swing should help him emerge as an above-average hitter in time. He is an above-average runner who is a threat on the basepaths and has the speed, athleticism and instincts to stick in center field.

Lee projects to be a leadoff or No. 2 hitter who hits for average, posts high on-base percentages and rack ups up doubles and triples into the gaps while capably playing center field. He would rank No. 35 on the BA Top 100 right behind Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser and just ahead of Twins infielder Brooks Lee and Rockies infielder Adael Amador in a run of polished, hit-first players with good on-base skills who have the ability to stay up the middle.

SHOTA IMANAGA

Imanaga was drafted in the first round out of Komazawa University in 2015 and quickly emerged as one of Japan’s preeminent lefthanded pitchers. He posted a 3.18 ERA over eight seasons in NPB, pitched a no-hitter in 2022 and led the Central League with 174 strikeouts in 2023. He raised his profile when he started and won the gold-medal game against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic in March, allowing one run in two innings and striking out Paul Goldschmidt and Cedric Mullins. The Cubs signed him to a four-year, $53 million contract that includes a pair of opt-outs and a fifth-year option that could increase the value of the deal to as much as $80 million.

Imanaga showed electric stuff in short outings during the WBC, but he’s more of a pitchability lefthander when working as a traditional starter. His fastball ranges anywhere from 86-94 mph, sitting 89-92 mph, and plays up with solid riding life that helps it generate swings and misses at the top of the strike zone. His best pitch is an above-average, 82-85 mph splitter with late cut that induces ground balls. Imanaga doesn’t spin a breaking ball particularly well and will have to improve his slider, which flashes average but too often stays on one plane, in order to fulfill his potential in MLB. He ties everything together with above-average control and a good feel for mixing his pitches and changing eye levels.

Imanaga projects to be a solid, effective No. 4 or 5 starter and is ready to step into the Cubs rotation immediately. He would slot in at No. 89 on the BA Top 100 ahead of Marlins righthander Max Meyer, who is coming off Tommy John surgery and carries significant reliever risk.

Dexter Peralta, SS, Dominican Republic (Yankees)

Peralta wasn’t as famous as some of the top players in the class early in the signing process, but he has taken off over the past year. He has grown to a still lean 6-foot-2, 165 pounds, a high-waist build with tons of strength projection remaining. A switch-hitter, Peralta has a compact, fluid swing from both sides that generates loft with good bat-to-ball skills and hard contact now with the potential for average or better power given his bat speed and how much room he still has to pack on size. He’s a plus runner and a good athlete who moves around well at shortstop. 

Gabriel Rodriguez, SS, Venezuela (Guardians)

A shortstop for Venezuela at the U-15 World Cup Americas Qualifier in 2022, Rodriguez had the second highest OPS on the team, batting .400/.478/.600 with no strikeouts in 23 plate appearances. Rodriguez comes from a baseball family—he’s the son of Brewers Venezuelan supervisor Jose Rodriguez—and it shows in both his baseball IQ and clean actions on both sides of the ball. Rodriguez, 16, has a quick, direct swing from the left side with a low swing-and-miss rate, with doubles power that should turn into more over-the-fence shots as he gets stronger. He’s a good athlete who moves his hands and feet well at shortstop with good body control. 

Cristian Arguelles, OF, Venezuela (Rockies)

Arguelles is one of the younger players in the class—he turns 17 at the end of June—and he plays with impressive ease of operation both in the batter’s box and the outfield. He’s a slender 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, with polished instincts for his age and a chance for his tools to tick up once he layers on more strength. He has a fluid swing with feel to manipulate the barrel, make frequent contact and use the whole field with gap power. An average runner, Arguelles isn’t a typical burner in center field, but he reads the ball well off the bat with a quick first step and glides around with ease.

Elvin Garcia, SS, Dominican Republic (Orioles)

A lanky, switch-hitting shortstop, Garcia has shown a knack for barreling balls against live pitching, with a line-drive approach and gap power. He’s a plus runner and a good athlete with loose, fluid actions at the position, capable of making throws from different angles with a 60 arm on the 20-80 scouting scale. 

Anderson Navas, C, Venezuela (Phillies)

At 6-foot-4, Navas is huge for a catcher, but he’s lean, athletic and moves around well behind the plate. His best tool is his arm, a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale, enabling him to cut his pop times under 1.9 seconds in games on his best throws. Navas’ swing can get uneven at times, but he has solid bat-to-ball skills for his age and is starting to flash bigger power now with his exit velocities likely to climb as he continues to fill out.

Yander Maria, RHP, Dominican Republic (Cubs)

Maria is a 6-foot-4 righthander who showed promising projection indicators early in the scouting process, reaching 89 mph with more physical upside and feel to spin. Now that his signing date has arrived, that physical projection is already starting to come to fruition. Maria has been up to 96 mph, with the potential for upper-90s velocity coming. He pairs it with a sharp, tight-spinning curveball that should be a swing-and-miss weapon.

Jose Paulino, RHP, Dominican Republic (Marlins)

Paulino generated a lot of swing-and-miss when he was pitching with a fastball up to 92 mph. His velocity has spiked higher since then, with the 6-foot-3 righthander now reaching 96 mph with the potential for more on the way. He has a strong, durable frame with good pitchability for his age and a three-pitch mix that give him a starter look, showing feel for both his curveball and changeup. 

Andreimi Antunez, SS, Venezuela (Rays)

Antunez is one of the best defensive shortstops who will sign this year. He’s a 5-foot-10 shortstop who is athletic, instinctive and floats around the position with ease, combining soft hands with nimble footwork and a good internal clock. A tick above-average runner, Antunez is a switch-hitter with a good swing, albeit without much strength yet, but he has shown the ability to turn around good velocity for his age with some surprising sting for his size. 

Orlando Suarez, RHP, Venezuela (White Sox)

Suarez showed promise earlier in the scouting process with his smooth, easy mechanics and  projectable 6-foot-2 frame. Now his fastball has jumped from scraping the low 90s to touching the mid 90s, big velocity for a player who just turned 17 in December. He shows feel to spin a hard curveball in the mid-to-upper 70s, with a firm changeup and both a slider and splitter that he has used as well. 

Humberto Cruz, RHP, Mexico (Padres)

As a 16-year-old pitching in the U-18 World Cup last year, Cruz held South Korea to one run over four innings with no walks and two strikeouts against the eventual bronze medalists. Cruz pounds the strike zone with a fastball that has reached 93 mph, showing the arm speed and physical projection left in his 6-foot-2 frame for his velocity to continue ticking up. With feel for both a curveball and changeup, Cruz has the combination of stuff and pitchability to project as a starter. 

Carlos Carrasquel, 3B, Venezuela (Red Sox)

Carrasquel has a promising offensive foundation of size, hitting ability and power. He’s 6-foot-4, generates easy power from the right side of the plate and doesn’t have to sell out with an all-or-nothing swing to produce that power, with the strength projection for bigger exit velocity numbers in the future. A shortstop earlier in the scouting process, Carrasquel has gotten faster and improved defensively, but his size and range fit better at third base, with the arm strength to stay on the left side of the infield. 

Yairo Padilla, SS, Dominican Republic (Cardinals)

A lanky 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, Padilla is a switch-hitter with a good mix of skills, tools and strength projection remaining. He has a loose, low-effort swing with good balance and the physical upside to grow into significantly more power. Unless he continues to grow and gets too big for the position, he should be able to stick at shortstop, where he fields his position well with a plus arm. 

Alfredo Benzan, SS, Dominican Republic (D-backs)

Benzan has grown around three inches since teams were heavily scouting him early on, now up to 6-foot-2, 165 pounds with a ton of space to fill out his athletic frame. He’s a shortstop now, though depending on how he develops physically, he could end up at third base, though he runs well enough that he could go to center field too. He has good hand-eye coordination that helps him make contact from both sides of the plate and recognize pitches, with hands and feet that work well at shortstop and a plus arm that could end up a plus-plus tool once he gets stronger.

2. Leodalis De Vries, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: Oct. 11, 2006. B-T: B-R. Ht: 6-1. Wt: 185. 

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Team: Padres

On pure talent, De Vries is the best international prospect in this class. With a bonus that should exceed $4 million, De Vries is a polished hitter for 17, with significant game experience and a knack for consistently getting on base. He uses his hands well at the plate with a compact, adjustable swing that has good path through the hitting zone and enables him to cover the plate well with a low swing-and-miss rate. It’s a mature offensive approach for his age, with the ability to slow the game down at the plate, comfort using the opposite field with backspin or turning on pitches on the inner third. It’s a good mix of high contact and impact, with De Vries showing the bat speed and loft to drive the ball out of the park in games with potential above-average power. De Vries generates plenty of attention for his offensive game, but his hand-eye coordination and heady, instinctive play are evident at shortstop as well. He’s an average runner who has the hands and actions for shortstop, along with an average arm that has a chance to tick up. Some scouts think De Vries could end up at second or third base, with the offensive upside to develop into an impact player at those spots as well, but he should continue to develop at shortstop and has the athleticism that could allow him to stick there long term. 

3. Fernando Cruz, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: Nov. 13, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 165.

Team: Cubs

Cruz is a cousin of Starlin Castro, who signed with the Cubs in 2006, made his major league debut at 20 in 2010 and played shortstop in Chicago through 2015. Cruz is set to follow in Castro’s footsteps with the Cubs, with a bonus expected to be around $4 million. Cruz separated himself as a top talent in the class early in the scouting process. He has strong hands and forearms, generating big bat speed and driving the ball with impressive impact especially for his size. Some scouts thought that power came with length to his swing that created contact troubles against live pitching, but Cruz has shown uncommon ability to hit for power the opposite way because he’s able to let the ball travel deep into the hitting zone or turn on the ball for extra-base damage. He’s a plus runner with slick actions at shortstop. Like a lot of young shortstops, he can get out of control at times, but his first-step quickness, hands, range and arm strength with a quick release all give him a good chance to stick at shortstop. 

A few swings this morning watching shortstop Fernando Cruz in San Cristobal

One of the top international players for January 2024.https://t.co/yHXDFzxGpG pic.twitter.com/fNUEYv0P2z

— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) April 26, 2023

4. Dawel Joseph, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: May 15, 2007. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 175.

Team: Mariners

Joseph attracted plenty of attention from scouts early on when he was one of the better athletes in the class with a lean, lively frame. At the time, he looked like a premium athlete with potential elite speed who would play somewhere in the middle of the field, whether it was at shortstop or center field. Since then, he has grown taller and stronger, with his skill set and projection changing as well. Joseph is still an above-average athlete, but he has now added more strength and power to his game. He had a flatter swing path early on but now looks like he could end up with a power-over-hit offensive profile. He’s an above-average runner who has a chance to stick at shortstop, where he’s a solid defender with a strong arm. 

5. Yovanny Rodriguez, C, Venezuela

Born: Nov. 7, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 180.

Team: Mets

For some scouts, Rodriguez is the top catcher available to sign in 2024 and on par with the elite catchers who have come out of Venezuela in recent years. He’s a true catcher who draws strong reviews for his defense. He has soft hands, a plus arm with a short release and makes accurate throws, cutting his pop times under 1.9 seconds in games on his best throws. Rodriguez has a strong frame with good bat speed and the power to leave the yard now with a chance to develop into a 20-plus home run threat. Scouts highest on Rodriguez felt he was an advanced hitter for his age as well, showing sound strike-zone judgment with good barrel accuracy to help him tap into that power in games. 

6. Adolfo Sanchez, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: Sept. 19, 2006. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 175.

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Team: Reds

With a good mix of both tools and skills, Sanchez especially stands out for his hitting ability. He has a textbook lefthanded swing that’s quick and compact with an accurate barrel. It’s a polished approach for his age with the ability to recognize pitches and hang in well whether he’s facing lefties or righties, consistently performing at a high level in games. Sanchez stands out more for his pure hitting ability, but he shows flashes of power that should spike as he fills out his lean, high-waist frame. An average runner, Sanchez doesn’t have classic center field speed, but he draws praise for his defensive actions and instincts, breaking well off the bat and gliding around the outfield with ease. If he does move to a corner, he has a plus arm that would fit in right field. 

7. Victor Hurtado, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: May 24, 2007. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 180.

Team: Nationals

Hurtado immediately draws attention for his long, lean 6-foot-3 frame with high-end strength projection. Scouts highest on Hurtado have praised both his hitting ability and power. He has a long wingspan with a sound, easy swing for his size, generating loft with good extension and leverage to drive the ball well from left-center field over to his pull side. He flashes over-the-fence power now and should grow into plus raw power with a chance for more given the way he’s trending physically. Hurtado is athletic for his size and should slot into a corner outfield spot after signing. 

8. Joswa Lugo, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: Jan. 24, 2007. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 175.

Team: Angels

Lugo is the younger brother of infielder Dawel Lugo, who signed with the Blue Jays for $1.3 million in 2011 and played parts of three seasons in the big leagues with the Tigers from 2018-2020. Joswa Lugo stands out for his righthanded power. He can hammer fastballs, showing flashes of what should be plus raw power as he continues to fill out. Scouts highest on Lugo liked his contact skills and ability to generate power without having to sell out with his swing to leave the yard, though others had concerns about his ability to recognize spin. Lugo’s power is his calling card, and while he has improved defensively enough to get a chance to continue at shortstop in pro ball, it’s more likely he shifts to third base. Some scouts think he could end up in an outfield corner if he outgrows the infield, with an above-average arm that would work well on the left side of the diamond. 

9. Yandel Ricardo, SS, Cuba

Born: Oct. 6, 2006. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 185.

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Team: Royals

Ricardo is the top prospect from Cuba eligible to sign in 2024, blending good size, athleticism and hitting ability from both sides of the plate. He takes a direct, efficient swing from both sides with good bat path to stay behind the ball and use the whole field. He’s a little more advanced from the right side, but he’s a high-contact hitter against both lefties and righties with a good offensive approach. Ricardo can pile up doubles now with the physical upside for more power to come as he gets into his prime years. As he does get bigger, there’s a chance Ricardo could end up moving to third or second base, but he has the skills and athleticism to continue developing at shortstop, with solid-average speed and arm strength. 

10. Emil Morales, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: Sept. 22, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 185.

Team: Dodgers

Morales consistently strings together quality at-bats. He has a mature offensive approach, recognizes pitches well and has performed well against live pitching. It’s a sound swing for his age with power that has trended up as he has added strength to his lower half and should spike more in the coming years. Morales is an offensive-oriented shortstop who is built more like a third baseman, with many scouts believing he will slide over to third base in the near future. He’s a below-average runner who is a steady defender on the balls he gets to at shortstop with a solid-average arm, though his actions and mobility likely fit best at third base. 

11. Naibel Mariano, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: Sept. 6, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 170.

Team: Reds

Mariano is big, athletic and has a chance to be a power-hitting infielder. His lean 6-foot-3 frame has a ton of space left to fill out, which combined with his already impressive bat speed gives him potential to develop into a 25-plus home run threat. Scouts highest on Mariano liked his ability to drive the ball with impact without having to sell out for power and thought he recognized pitches well. Others thought he had a tendency to get pull-happy and would need to make adjustments against spin. Mariano’s offensive upside stands out the most, but his hands and feet work well in the infield for a player his size. Given his size, there’s a strong chance Mariano outgrows shortstop and shifts to third base. He’s an average runner with an average arm that could tick up as layers on more strength.  

12. Bralyn Brazoban, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: Jan. 9, 2006. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 180.

Team: Pirates

Brazoban stands out for his size and tools with a chance to play a premium position. He has a lean, athletic frame with a mix of power and speed. He’s a plus runner who drives the ball well from the left side of the plate. Brazoban showing big power in batting practice with a chance to develop plus raw power, though against live pitching, some scouts thought he would have a power-over-hit profile. His speed gives him a chance to stick in center field if he doesn’t outgrow the position, with a strong arm as well. 

13. Daibel De Los Santos, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: Oct. 6, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 170.

Team: Twins

On raw tools and athleticism, De Los Santos stacks up well with the best in the class that make for enticing upside if he’s able to make enough contact. He’s an ultra-lean, quick-twitch athlete with plus speed and a 70 arm on the 20-80 scouting scale. Some scouts liked his actions at shortstop and thought he had a good chance to stick there, while others thought he could fit better using his speed and explosiveness to roam around center field. De Los Santos is not a pure hitter, with an aggressive approach and pitch recognition skills that he will need to sharpen, but he generates fast bat speed and drives the ball with impact already for his age with a chance to grow into plus raw power. 

14. Robert Arias, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: Oct. 1, 2006. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 165.

Team: Guardians

Arias seldom swings and misses, making it work with an unconventional stroke and good hand-eye coordination. He’s a contact-oriented hitter who has some orthodox actions to his lefthanded swing, but he consistently puts the ball in play with a strong track record of getting on base in games. To be able to tap into more power would likely require a swing adjustment, but he has a good foundation of being able to make frequent contact and more room to fill out his lean, wiry frame. He runs and moves well in the outfield to give him a chance to stick in center field as well.

15. Adriel Radney, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: June 23, 2007. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 180.

Team: D-backs

Radney stands out quickly for his tall, athletic frame with a ton of space to fill out. He has big bat speed for his age and flashes power to all fields already with what should end up being plus raw power once he fills out. For scouts highest on Radney, they also liked his feel for hitting, separating himself from other young power hitters who have an all-or-nothing approach. While some scouts did still see swing-and-miss risk with Radney, others thought he took quality at-bats, didn’t expand the zone much and was able to translate his power in games. He’s an average runner who could slow down as he fills out, projecting to play right field with at least an average arm that could still tick up. 

16. Eduardo Herrera, 3B, Venezuela

Born: Oct. 23, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 180.

Team: White Sox

Just after Herrera turned 15, he played for Venezuela at the U-18 World Cup Qualifier in Mexico in 2022. Even against older competition, Herrera looked comfortable at the plate, with scouts highest on him drawn to his offensive-driven game. He has a loose, easy swing, and while scouts were split on Herrera’s performance against live pitching, he can drive the ball with impact from right-center over to his pull side without having to sell out his swing to generate that power. Herrera has experience at shortstop, then spent time behind the plate, where his plus arm stood out, but as he’s gotten bigger, he has moved to third base. Depending how much bigger he gets, there’s some risk he could end up at first base, but he has a chance to stick at third base with his offensive game carrying his value.

17. Belfi Rivera, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: Dec. 16, 2006. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 160.

Team: D-backs

Scouts highest on Rivera liked his mix of hitting ability and chance to play in the middle of the field. He’s a good athlete and a plus runner who moves around well in center field, where he gets good reads off the bat and has an average arm. Some scouts thought Rivera had a tendency to get long with his swing and pull-heavy. Those who liked him the most praised his approach at the plate with a good eye for the strike zone and the ability to use his hands well in his swing to put the ball in play with gap power from his medium build. 

18. Angel Feliz, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: Nov. 16, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 190.

Team: Nationals

Feliz is a physical 6-foot-3 hitter with even more room to continue filling out. That all points to considerable strength projection for big righthanded power. Scouts highest on Feliz were drawn to him for his offensive approach and ability to hit in games, though he is an aggressive hitter with some length to his swing. Feliz has grown to the point where his days at shortstop are likely limited, with a move to third base probably coming soon. 

19. Francisco Vilorio, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: Oct. 31, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 175.

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Team: Yankees

Vilorio is a physical center fielder with some of the more explosive tools in the class. He offers a mix of power and speed, showing flashes of plus raw power now that should continue to trend up as he fills out. While some scouts were split on Vilorio’s pure hitting ability and thought he would have a power-over-hit profile, those highest on him saw good bat-to-ball skills as well. Vilorio is a plus runner with a well above-average arm, giving him the tools to handle center field, though depending how he fills out and how much speed he retains, he could end up in right field. 

20. Jorge Quintana, SS, Venezuela

Born: April 5, 2007. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 170.

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Team: Brewers

Quintana is one of the most polished hitters in this class. He’s a switch-hitter with a fluid, easy stroke from both sides of the plate who recognizes pitches well, has good plate discipline and maneuvers the barrel well to make frequent contact. Quintana is especially advanced from the left side and has one of the better offensive track records among players eligible to sign in 2024. He makes hard contact from gap to gap with a chance for average or better power given the strength projection remaining in his 6-foot-2 frame. Quintana is a reliable defender at shortstop on the balls he gets to and should get a chance to develop at the position, though he’s a fringe-average runner and looks like he could eventually outgrow the position, with an average arm that would fit at third base. 

21. Leonardo Pineda, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: April 21, 2007. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 170.

Team: Rays

Scouts highest on Pineda are drawn to him for his offensive upside. While he’s not that tall, he has the look of a player who should become a strong, powerfully built hitter. He already has big bat speed and home run power to his pull side, whipping the barrel through the zone with authority from a sound righthanded swing. He’s an average runner who should be able to start his career in center field in the lower levels of the minors, though as he moves up he will likely slide to a corner. 

22. Cesar Yanquiel Hernandez, OF, Cuba

Born: April 22, 2003. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 195.

Team: Astros

Hernandez, 20, posted huge numbers playing in the Cuban junior leagues before he left the country to go to the Dominican Republic to sign with a major league club. The scouts who liked Hernandez the most praised him for his speed and hitting ability. While he does have a good offensive track record, there is some stiffness to his swing, with a line-drive approach and more power that has come since he left Cuba. He’s a plus-plus runner underway, which should give him the speed for center field, though scouts were mixed on his defensive instincts. 

23. Yohendri Sanchez, C, Venezuela

Born: Nov. 9, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 185.

Team: Giants

Sanchez is a physically mature player for his age with big power and arm strength. He has a stocky strong build with the bat speed and strength to do a lot of damage on contact. Sanchez can punish mistakes and has a chance to develop 20-plus home run pop. He has shown a tendency to expand the strike zone, with some swing-and-miss risk that will likely lead to a power-over-hit offensive game. For someone his size, Sanchez has good mobility behind the plate and an above-average arm with the traits that give him a good chance to stick at the position. 

24. Eduardo Beltre, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: Oct. 10, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 170.

Team: Twins

Beltre is an athletic center fielder with a strong frame for his age. He offers a mix of power potential and speed with a chance to stick up the middle, showing good bat speed and hard contact when he connects. Some scouts thought Beltre would have to make adjustments to make more contact against live pitching, while others highest on him thought he had solid bat-to-ball skills. He’s a plus runner who could stick in center field, though with the way he’s built there’s a chance he could migrate to a corner depending how much speed he retains.

25. Nestor Miranda, 3B, Dominican Republic

Born: Feb. 23, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 200.

Team: Tigers

Miranda became eligible to sign on Jan. 15, 2023, but he instead will sign when the next period opens on Jan. 15, 2024. Miranda has a hulking, physically mature build for his age, with the strength in his swing that leads to big power displays. His power comes from a short swing and he taps into that home run power in games at times, though like a lot of young sluggers he tends to get too pull-oriented. Miranda should start his career at third base, where he does have a strong arm, though given how big he is already, there’s a good chance he could end up at first base. 

26. Luis Cova, OF, Venezuela

Born: Feb. 1, 2007. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 175.

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Team: Marlins

Cova is one of the most exciting prospects in Venezuela. The center fielder on Venezuela’s U-15 World Cup team in 2022, Cova is a bouncy athlete with a lean, well-proportioned build on a high-waist frame. He has good bat speed, strong bat-to-ball skills and a line-drive approach, with his gap power growing to now clearing the fence with more frequency and indicators of significantly more power on the way given his bat speed and strength projection. A former shortstop moved to center field, Cova should be able to stick in center field long term. He’s a plus-plus runner with a quick first step and a strong arm.

27. Ashly Andujar, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: July 29, 2007. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 155.

Team: Rockies

Andujar’s physical development is behind most of the other top players in this year’s class, but he has a lot of attributes that intrigue scouts. One of the younger players eligible to sign in 2024, Andujar has a skinny, high-waist frame that lacks strength, so while his raw tools aren’t as advanced as some of his peers, he has loose, easy actions on both sides of the ball, giving him a chance to break out once he layers on more size and strength. Andujar is a high-contact hitter with an accurate barrel from both sides of the plate. He puts a lot of balls in play, spraying line drives around the field with occasional doubles pop and a wide range of outcomes for his future power depending how much more strength he’s able to add. He’s a quick-twitch athlete and an aggressive, high-energy player who fields his position well with good actions and body control at shortstop. 

28. Jalvin Arias, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: Oct. 1, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 205. 

Team: Phillies

Arias has size and power that stick out for his age. He shows flashes of plus raw power that could eventually end up being a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. Arias’ power is evident in batting practice and he can crush a fastball if the pitcher makes a mistake over the heart of the plate, though it comes with swing-and-miss risk, so he will need to develop more adjustability with his swing and improve his plate discipline. Arias was running plus times in the 60-yard dash early in the scouting process, when he impressed some scouts with his athleticism and had them believing he could play center field, though as he’s gotten bigger he’s trended more toward a future in an outfield corner. 

29. Paulino Santana, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: Nov. 17, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 180.

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Team: Rangers

Santana has been a major up-arrow player over the last year, becoming one of the elite prospects in the class and a favorite among several international scouts. He’s a strong, athletic center fielder with a well-proportioned build. He has extremely quick hands, manages his at-bats well and has performed at a high level in games. Santana can launch balls to the opposite field gap or over the fence to his pull side, generating his power without much effort to his swing. He recognizes spin well for his age, has a good sense of the strike zone and uses the whole field. He’a also a plus runner, giving him a chance to stay in center field.

30. Emilio Sanchez, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: April 13, 2007. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 170. 

Team: Orioles

Sanchez blends a good mix of hitting ability and power from the left side of the plate. He has a short swing, keeping his hands tight to his body with the adjustability to make contact at a high clip. He has a good approach for his age with quick hands, fast bat speed and flashes of over-the-fence power now with what some scouts think could be significantly more power to come. Sanchez is a shortstop for now and could start his career there, though his hitting ability stands out more than his athleticism or defensive range, with some scouts projecting him as a future second or third baseman. 

31. Jhonayker Ugarte, SS, Venezuela

Born: March 12, 2007. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 190. 

Team: Royals

Ugarte is a Venezuelan shortstop who has been training in the Dominican Republic. Scouts who liked Ugarte the most liked his sound righthanded swing for his age and hitting ability with gap power, but he’s grown around four inches with significantly more bat speed and power now. A below-average runner, Ugarte is a solid defender at shortstop with an average arm, though as he’s gotten bigger could end up shifting to third base.

32. Abdiel Feliz, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: Feb. 23, 2007. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 160.

Team: Pirates

Feliz made a name for himself with his defense at shortstop. He’s a quick-twitch athlete whose hands and feet work well with the ability to make the flashy, highlight reel play and the arm strength for the position. Feliz is a switch-hitter who has solid bat-to-ball skills for his age, though with a slap approach that may limit his power potential. 

33. Edgar Montero, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: Nov. 21, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 185.

Team: Athletics

For some scouts, Montero has been a player trending in the right direction, drawing praise for his mix of hitting ability and power potential from the left side. Others thought he would hit for power but that it came with a tendency for his swing to get big, leading to swing-and-miss risk. Montero has an above-average arm and has the actions to stick in the infield, though as he has gotten bigger, he has looked more likely to head to third base.

34. Franklin Rojas, C, Venezuela

Born: March 20, 2007. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 170.

Team: Blue Jays

Rojas represented Venezuela first at the U-12 World Cup in 2019 in Taiwan, then again in 2022 in Venezuela at the U-15 World Cup Americas Qualifier. He has a medium frame that’s strong for his age, without a ton of physical projection but already making hard contact with good swing path and bat-to-ball skills. His high baseball IQ is an asset behind the plate, where he projects to stick with good catch-and-throw skills and a solid-average arm. 

35. Jose Ramos, OF, Venezuela

Born: Oct. 1, 2006. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 170.

Team: Athletics

An athletic center fielder, Ramos moves around well in the outfield, with at least plus speed and what should become an average arm as he gets stronger. Early on, some scouts had concerns about the swing-and-miss in Ramos’ game and a pull-heavy approach, but those highest on him have seen improvements with both his contact skills and strength to become a more consistent hitter. 

36. Jhonny Level, SS, Venezuela

Born: March 29, 2007. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 160.

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Team: Giants

While Level isn’t that big, he has drawn a lot of praise from scouts for his ability to hit and stick at shortstop. Drawing comparisons to Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio, Level is a switch-hitter with a high-contact bat, keeping his hands short to the ball with the ability to maneuver the barrel to pitches throughout the strike zone. Level has a hit-over-power profile with some surprising sock for his size, going over the fence on occasion with a chance to develop into a 10-15 home run threat. He’s an above-average runner with a plus arm who should be able to stick at shortstop, with advanced instincts for the game that help everything play up.

37. Vladimir Asencio, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: Dec. 13, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 160.

Team: Red Sox

Asencio is one of the most difficult hitters to strike out from the Dominican Republic in this year’s class. He has excellent hand-eye coordination with the bat control to consistently put the ball in play. Asencio isn’t that big, with even scouts who were high on him still uncertain about how much power he will end up developing. Asencio isn’t a burner, but he runs well enough to get a chance to play center field.

38. Stiven Martinez, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: Aug. 8, 2007. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 185.

Team: Orioles

Martinez brings big raw power from the right side of the plate. The ball flies off his bat already and he has the physical projection to develop plus raw power. It’s a power-over-hit offensive game, with some scouts concerned about swing-and-miss in his game, though others thought over the past year he had made strides with his approach and game performance. Martinez has a strong arm but is limited to an outfield corner, with some risk he ends up at first base depending how he develops physically. 

39. Jesus Made, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: May 8, 2007. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 170.

Team: Brewers

Made stands out for his power potential from both sides of the plate. He has a strong but still lean build with significant strength projection remaining, snapping the barrel through the zone with good bat speed and a chance for above-average power. He has solid bat-to-ball skills for his age, with some scouts believing it will likely be a power-over-hit profile at higher levels. A tick above-average runner, Made has a chance to stick at shortstop, where some scouts praised his defensive actions, though if he outgrows the position his above-average arm would also fit at third base. 

40. Edward Lantigua, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: Nov. 3, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 170.

Team: Mets

Lantigua has a rangy, athletic frame with high-end strength projection. Early on, Lantigua was a skinny line-drive hitter who showed good bat-to-ball skills with gap power. As he has started to fill out, Lantigua is starting to show more power with what should be significantly more juice still to come, while typically performing well against live pitching. Lantigua is an above-average runner who has a chance to stay in center field. He has the body type where he could still get faster as he gets stronger, though depending on his physical development, if his speed backs up he could move to right field. 

41. Jesus Pinto, OF, Venezuela

Born: March 30, 2007. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 170.

Team: Tigers

Pinto is an athletic outfielder who packs a lot of tools into a strong 6-foot frame. He’s a plus runner with a quick first step and a strong arm in center field. Pinto loads his swing with a big leg kick and has quick hands that he keeps short to the ball, helping him drive the ball for hard contact that’s mostly doubles power now but should turn into more over-the-fence juice in the coming years.

42. Junior Arias, OF, Dominican Republic

Born: Oct. 6, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 190.

Team: Blue Jays

Early in the scouting process, Arias stood out for his physicality and power potential. He’s strong with more room to fill out and already can punish the ball when he connects with what should be at least above-average raw power. Arias still has things to iron out with his swing and approach, resulting in up-and-down game performance and a power-over-hit profile. He’s a below-average runner who fits best defensively in an outfield corner.

43. Luis Peña, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: Nov. 13, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 165. 

Team: Brewers

Peña has a strong, compact build packed with explosiveness and a mature tool set for his age. He doesn’t have the long, gliding gait that other speedsters possess, but he’s a quick-burst athlete with plus-plus speed. His athleticism more so than his pure actions give him a chance to stick at shortstop, where he has a plus arm. Peña’s strength and bat speed help him drive the ball well for his size. His swing can get big at times but he shows feel for hitting with solid bat-to-ball skills for his age. 

44. Richard Matic, 3B, Dominican Republic

Born: July 26, 2007. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 180. 

Team: Yankees

Matic has an advanced offensive game for his age. He’s a high-contact hitter with good bat speed, allowing him to put the ball in play at a high clip and drive the ball for extra-base damage when he does connect. While players who are already at third base as amateurs typically have significant risk of moving to first base, Matic has a good chance to stick at third base, showing the hands for the infield and an above-average arm.

45. Pascual Archila, OF, Venezuela

Born: Jan. 23, 2007. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 165.

Team: Blue Jays

Archila is a Venezuelan outfielder who has been training in the Dominican Republic. He’s an instinctive player who impressed scouts with his feel for hitting in a skills over tools package. He has a loose swing from the left side that’s short, simple and results in a lot of contact against live pitching with doubles power. Archila has played center field, though he isn’t a true burner runner, so he could move around all three outfield spots. 

Franco has a fast arm and excellent physical projection remaining in his lean frame. His fastball has been trending up, growing from the mid-80s to the low-90s, touching 94 mph. Between his arm speed and room to fill out, he could be throwing in the upper-90s at some point. His arm works well, he’s a good strike-thrower for his age and he has shown feel to spin a curveball that’s his most advanced offspeed pitch. That skill set should make him one of the top paid pitchers in the class this year.

47. Leandro Romero, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: Nov. 8, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 165.

Team: Mariners

Romero is a long-limbed shortstop who stands out for his power potential. Added strength over the past year has helped him drive the ball well to right-center, with some steepness to his swing that creates some swing-and-miss and will likely produce a power-over-hit offensive game. Romero is athletic and has a chance to develop into a power-hitting shortstop, though he’s still working to smooth out his defensive actions and could end up moving around the infield in pro ball.

48. Curley Martha, SS, Curacao

Born: Sept. 13, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 

Team: Rangers

Martha was a standout on Curacao’s 2019 Little League World Series team that reached the championship game in Williamsport, Pa. Martha’s instincts and feel for the game stand out above most players his age, especially at the plate. He has a knack for putting the ball in play, stinging hard line drives across the field. His bat speed has trended up over the past year and he projects to have a strong, stocky frame once he fills out, giving him a chance for more power to come. At shortstop, Martha has soft hands, moves his feet well and is a good athlete. He has a chance to stick at the position, though some scouts think his best defensive fit will end up being at second or third base. 

49. Angel Brachi, SS, Venezuela

Born: Jan. 5, 2007. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 160.

Team: Rays

Everything Brachi does plays up because of his instincts for the game in a skills-over-tools profile. He’s a savvy, fundamentally sound player with a knack for being in the right place at the right time, slowing the game down and playing under control. He’s not as physically developed as some of the other high-profile players in the class, but he has solid bat-to-ball skills with a line-drive approach and doubles power. An average runner, Brachi isn’t as explosive as some of the other top shortstops for this year, but he’s a smooth, reliable defender with good reactions off the bat.

50. Angel Guzman, SS, Dominican Republic

Born: Dec. 7, 2006. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 160.

Team: Blue Jays

Guzman is a smaller-framed shortstop with a good mix of athleticism and skills. He’s a high-contact hitter from both sides of the play, spraying the ball around the field with a line-drive approach and occasional doubles. He moves around with easy actions at shortstop, where he has good body control, is fundamentally sound for his age and has an above-average arm, giving him a good chance to stick at shortstop.

51-100

51. Darison Garcia, SS, Dominican Republic (Royals)

Instinctive, high baseball IQ player and steady offensive performer, line-drive stroke with gap power, skills over raw tools with speed ticking up to plus.

52. Anderson Paula, OF, Dominican Republic (Astros)

Physical slugger, righthanded hitting corner outfielder with a power-over-hit profile.

53. Yairo Padilla, SS, Dominican Republic (Cardinals)

Strong but still lanky 6-foot-2 switch-hitter with a sound, balanced swing from both sides and a plus arm.

54. Carlos Carrasquel, 3B, Venezuela (Red Sox)

Good mix of hitting ability and easy righthanded power from a sound swing, 6-foot-4 frame with more strength projection remaining, offensive-minded infielder with arm strength for third base.

55. Francheli Silverio, SS, Dominican Republic (Astros)

Lean, high physical upside righthanded hitter with ability to snap the barrel through the zone and drive the ball for extra-base damage.

56. Humberto Cruz, RHP, Mexico (Padres)

Lean 6-foot-2 starter look with feel for three pitches (curveball and changeup), strike-thrower up to 93 mph with arm speed and strength projection for more to come.

57. Cristian Arguelles, OF, Venezuela (Rockies)

Lefthanded outfielder with polished skills, easy actions at the plate and in the outfield, young for the class and could take a leap forward as he gains strength.

58. Cesar Mujica, C, Venezuela (Phillies)

Strong-framed, athletic catcher with good raw power for his age, potential 20-plus home run threat with an above-average arm.

59. Erick Matos, RHP, Cuba (Athletics)

Lanky 6-foot-5, 175 pounds with a fastball up to 94 mph and lots of space left to fill out and add more velocity, along with a curveball and splitter.

60. Edwar Guribe, OF, Dominican Republic (Cardinals)

Former third baseman moved to an outfield corner, righthanded slugger with big power to all fields with solid feel for hitting as well to tap into that power against live pitching.

61. Jose Cerice, 3B, Cuba (Royals)

At 18, righthanded hitter who hit .407/.510/.568 in 98 plate appearances in Cuba’s U-18 national league his last season there (fourth in the league in OPS), hit-over-power with more juice that could come down the road, defensive skill set for third base.

62. Yolfran Castillo, SS, Venezuela (Rangers)

Athletic shortstop who projects to stick at the position, plus runner with solid bat-to-ball skills and flashes of power now that he’s grown bigger and stronger.

63. Hayden Alvarez, OF, Dominican Republic (Angels)

Well-rounded skill set, 6-foot-2 center fielder with good athleticism and instincts in center field and could stick there depending on physical development, good strike-zone judgment help produce quality at-bats.

64. Oscar Pujols, RHP, Dominican Republic (Rockies)

Lean 6-foot-3, high-waist righthander with lots of room to fill out and add to a fastball reaching 94 mph with a hard curveball and changeup from a low-effort, balanced delivery.

65. Joandrew Peña, SS, Venezuela (Brewers)

Advanced righthanded hitter for his age with size at 6-foot-3 to grow into more power, likely at third base.

66. Jurdrick Profar, SS, Curacao (White Sox)

Younger brother of 10-year big leaguer Jurickson Profar, grown to 6-foot-3 but hands and feet work well for his size at shortstop, instincts for the game evident from a baseball family.

67. Juan Espinal, OF, Dominican Republic (Braves)

Athletic center fielder, righthanded hitter with good bat speed, leverage in swing, possible power-over-hit profile.

68. Amauri Ramirez, OF, Dominican Republic/USA (Astros)

Born and raised in the United States, moved to the Dominican Republic a few years ago, showing simple, fluid swing from the left side with good balance to use all fields.

69. Juarlin Soto, SS, Dominican Republic (Blue Jays)

Medium build shortstop with hitterish look, lefthanded swing is quick, compact with quiet hands and knack for driving the ball in the air with gap power.

70. Greylin De La Paz, SS, Dominican Republic (Angels)

Strong-framed shortstop can whistle the barrel through the zone with good bat speed and power upside, should stick in the infield, trending toward second or third base.

71. Alfredo Benzan, SS, Dominican Republic (D-backs)

Once a smaller-framed, well-coordinated shortstop who made a lot of contact from both sides of the plate, has since grown to an athletic, wiry 6-foot-2 with physical upside for more power to come and plus arm for left side of infield.

72. Jesus Premoli, 3B/C, Venezuela (White Sox)

Experience at catcher and third base, now at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds spending more time at third base with big lefthanded power that’s his calling card.

73. Sebastian Rojas, OF, Venezuela (Athletics)

Strong, compact 6-foot frame with plus speed to start his career in center field, advanced strength for his age leads to hard contact with a mix of power and speed.

74. Dexter Peralta, SS, Dominican Republic (Yankees)

Athletic, lean 6-foot-2 shortstop with sweet swing from both sides, plus speed with power trending up and more to come as he fills out.

75. Gabriel Rodriguez, SS, Venezuela (Guardians)

Shortstop who hit well for Venezuela at the U-15 World Cup Americas Qualifier in 2022, high-contact hitter with easy actions and polish for his age both at plate and in the field.

76. Elvin Garcia, SS, Dominican Republic (Orioles)

Intriguing mix of tools and skills, a lanky, athletic shortstop with plus speed and arm strength with good feel for the barrel from both sides of the plate.

77. Yensi Rivas, SS, Dominican Republic (Mets)

Switch-hitting shortstop with a mature offensive approach for his age, high contact frequency with nimble footwork in the field.

78. Gabriel Guanchez, C, Venezuela (Mariners)

Good defensive catcher who projects to stick behind the plate with strong catch-and-throw skills for his age, blocks and receives well.

79. Kendrick Herrera, SS, Dominican Republic (Pirates)

Athletic shortstop, light on his feet with good lateral agility, soft hands, runs well with line-drive approach, gap power from the right side.

80. Jemone Brown, SS, Jamaica/Dominican Republic (Orioles)

Switch-hitting shortstop with plus speed who has performed well at high-profile events.

81. Eriel Dihigo, SS, Cuba (Rockies)

6-foot-2, 180 pounds, played in Cuba’s U-18 national league when he was 15 in 2022, hit .265/.386/.397 in 84 plate appearances and played third base for Matanzas, righthanded bat best trait for scouts highest on him, could move around the infield.

82. Miguel Flores, LHP, Cuba (Guardians)

Pitchability lefthander who can touch the low 90s, throws strikes and changes speeds with four pitches and feel to spin a pair of breaking balls to keep hitters off balance.

83. Nathaniel Palacios, SS, Venezuela (Rangers)

Solid swing for his age with gap power and athleticism who could flip across to second base or the outfield.

84. Daniel Flames, SS, Venezuela (Rangers)

Smaller-framed shortstop, good defensive actions and hands, with range and arm strength that fit best at second base, line-drive approach at the plate with doubles pop.

85. Edwin Brito, OF, Dominican Republic (Red Sox)

Big raw power and bat speed from the right side of the plate, drives the ball with damage when he connects, power-over-hit type, likely in an outfield corner.

86. Erick De La Cruz, SS, Dominican Republic (D-backs)

Good building blocks to project on a young shortstop with feel for the strike zone, good bat-to-ball skills from a sound righthanded swing, could see everything tick up once more strength comes.

87. Humberto Tiberi, C, Venezuela (Angels)

The intangibles teams prize in a catcher with good catch-and-throw skills for his age, an average arm with an all-fields approach and gap power.

88. Yoxander Benitez, SS/OF, Aruba (Giants)

Top prospect from Aruba in the class, quick-twitch athlete, plus runner who can play a premium position with lots of room to add strength to a lean 6-foot-2 frame.

89. Dalvinson Reyes, RHP, Dominican Republic (Red Sox)

High-end physical projection (6-foot-5, 190 pounds) with easy mechanics, a fastball up to 92 mph with what should be more in the tank to go with his curveball and changeup.

90. Luis Reyson De La Cruz, SS, Dominican Republic (Guardians)

Switch-hitting shortstop, offensive-minded prospect with experience at shortstop, outfield and at catcher, could move around the field with a bat-first profile.

91. Irwin Ramirez, RHP, Venezuela (Pirates)

Power arm already touching the mid 90s, more physical projection remaining in 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame, with curveball and slider as well.

92. Jose Castro, OF, Dominican Republic (Marlins)

Right field profile with explosive bat speed and raw power from the right side with more to come as he fills out (6-foot-3, 185 pounds), power-over-hit profile with at least plus arm strength.

93. Victor Leal, C, Venezuela (Twins)

Medium frame, righthanded-hitting catcher with solid bat-to-ball skills and strike-zone judgment for age, strong arm behind plate.

94. Jirvin Morillo, C, Venezuela (Reds)

Caught for Venezuela at U-15 World Cup Americas Qualifier in 2022, switch-hitter showed patient approach, emerging power for lean build with a quick transfer on throws.

95. Deinys Gonzalez, C, Venezuela (Rays)

One of Venezuela’s catchers at the U-15 World Cup Americas Qualifier in 2022, compact swing with fast hands, athletic mover behind the plate with good catch-and-throw skills.

96. Estivel Morillo, OF, Dominican Republic (Guardians)

Compact lefthanded swing with flashes of over-the-fence power, runs well with a chance to stick in center field.

97. Edelvis Perez, RHP, Cuba (Guardians)

More under the radar than other Cuban prospects, 6-foot-3 righthander up to 93 mph at 19 with good life and angle, ability to throw strikes and use changeup effectively to disrupt timing of hitters.

98. Robin Ortiz, OF, Dominican Republic (Cubs)

Right field tools with a plus arm, big righthanded raw power and bat speed, power-over-hit offensive game.

99. Anderson Fermin, SS/CF, Dominican Republic (Red Sox)

High-end athleticism with plus speed and a solid swing from both sides of the plate, gap power, could fit at either shortstop or in center field.

100. Erli Zulueta, RHP, Cuba (Cardinals)

A former outfielder moved to the mound, Zulueta has a strong 6-foot-3 frame, sound mechanics with a lively fastball into the low 90s, a slider that’s ahead of his changeup and not much mileage on his arm given his history.