1 pick in the 2021 Draft, Davis is showing early on that his bat is as advertised, with six of his first eight professional hits of the extra-base variety while moving quickly to High-A ball. Gonzalez isn't a burner and probably won't be a base-stealer as a pro, but hes a very good athlete. Of course, so were many of the game's top young international stars, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, Julio Rodriguez, Yordan Alvarez and Wander Francoamong them. Former Braves top prospects shine for A's in spring debuts. As an example, there's a 2024 high school pitcher in the United States who is 16. Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. He has a strong arm for the infield with soft hands, smooth actions and good transitions around the bag. Ludwing Espinoza, SS, Ven. Giants: Marco Luciano, SS (No. D-backs: Jordan Lawlar, SS (No. The scouting summaries were compiled with information provided by available data and industry sources, as well as from our own observations. If Enrique Bradfield isn't the fastest player in the country, he's in the conversation. The signing period begins on Jan. 15 and ends on Dec. 15, 2023. 48) Martinez has been pegged as a potential future No. 3)Some scouts considered Hernandez the best prospect in the 2020 international class and the Cubs say he has more upside than any foreign player they've signed recently -- including Eloy Jimnez and Gleyber Torres. Again, verbal agreements are sometimes made a couple of years in advance of a player actually being eligible to sign, a phenomena that tends to happen most often with top-of-the-market prospects. An ultra-aggressive swinger of the bat, Hurley will need to polish up his approach as he sees more advanced pitching at the next level. Honeyman has essentially been a steady performer throughout his college career, both on campus and in wood-bat summer leagues. According to a source, testimony in that case was heard last week, and we may soon learn more about its outcome and subsequent fallout. The 19-year-old infielder's carrying tool remains his power with 24 homers in 90 . Thats unlikely given that hell only turn 20 in November. Notes: JV's changeup; Max's pace; Mauricio's clout. MLB's international prospect signing period starts today and the Twins are expected to sign three of the top 25 players in the 2023 class, per Baseball America's rankings. I've been . This Top 300 really establishes a few things: This year is shaping up to be a pretty healthy year for the draft. The slider is thrown firm and short with late two-plane tilt that Waldrep gets hitters to chase regularly. Marlins: Kahlil Watson, SS (No. He's a thick, twitchy middle-infielder who could certainly stick at shortstop, though some believe he could end up at second base or third base because of his shorter strides and muscular frame. The larger the bonus, the more teams believe in the player. : Guardians+ ($1,375,000) More 29. With notable power for his size, Troy has shown himself capable of going out to all fields, and finds a ton of barrels. Darling Fernandez, OF, D.R. If there's one critique, scouts do question where the body can go from here. Those teams will then triage prospects later in the process and nix whichever verbal deals they see as the least favorable. : White Sox+ ($700,000) More 42. Signing Bonus Pool B: $6,366,900 Cincinnati Reds Detroit Tigers Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays, Signing Bonus Pool A: $5,825,500 Arizona Diamondbacks Baltimore Orioles Cleveland Guardians Colorado Rockies Kansas City Royals Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres, $5,284,000 Pool Atlanta Braves Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox Houston Astros New York Mets New York Yankees San Francisco Giants St. Louis Cardinals Toronto Blue Jays Washington Nationals, $4,644,000 Pool Boston Red Sox Los Angeles Angels Philadelphia Phillies, $4,144,000 Pool Los Angeles Dodgers Texas Rangers, CLICK HERE FOR THE 2023 MLB INTERNATIONAL PROSPECT BONUS BOARD. He's an average defender at shortstop and could comfortably move to third base or second base. -- $400,000Angel Gil, OF, D.R., $375,000, D-backsYassel Soler, 3B, D.R. Here are the bonus pools for the 2023 international signing period, according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez: Because they paid competitive balance tax in 2021, the Dodgers forfeited $1 million in bonus pool money to sign Freddie Freeman. 60)The biggest asset on Houses scouting report was his plus power. Ariel Castro, OF, Cuba: Twins ($2,400,000) More 12. He has a nice loose swing and shows the ability to hit home runs in batting practice and games. Were talking about an thunderous bat that should hit for average and power. MLB.com adds he "plays with flair and is dedicated to improving." The international signing period runs through Dec. 15, 2023. Below is how much money each team has available to spend in their international bonus pools. Cubs: Cristian Hernandez, SS (No. Rangers: Jack Leiter, RHP (No. Dodgers: Diego Cartaya, C (No. 1/MLB No. Crews produces elite exit velocities and balances the raw power with a strong approach and feel for the strike zone. His speed will be an asset at any outfield spot, but he does have a fringy arm that may preclude him from right field. Better than McKenzie Gore. Fantastic write-up as always Eric, thank you! Carlos Silva, C, Ven. For prospects around the globe hoping to sign with an MLB franchise, it kicks off a 11-month window for teams to land prospects. -- $800,000Luis Merejo, INF, D.R. Top prospect Bradley gets pumped, then gets souvenir. Future All-Stars will be signed when international free agency opens Sunday. His 6-foot-3 build and his game prompt comparisons to Salvador Perez, but he's a better pure hitter than the seven-time All-Star. Twins: Misael Urbina, OF (No. The Dodgers surpassed the luxury tax threshold the previous season and had to forfeit $1,000,000 for Freddie Freeman. Hes missed a lot of time, first with a broken hamate the summer after he was drafted in 2019 and then this year, but the tools and the ability to play shortstop long-term make him stand out. Primary secondary offerings include a fall-off-the-table split-change and a devestating breaking slider, both in the low-to-mid 80s, the latter featuring extreme sweep when he wants to grab it. International players under 25 can sign minor-league contracts only. Players have to be registered with Major League Baseball in advance in order to be eligible to sign. 97)During his pro debut after being a bit of a surprise third-round pick in 2019, Harris showed that the Braves mightve been shrewd to take the two-way player and let him hit, as he reached full-season ball. Korean baseball reporter Daniel Kimsays Shim is on the verge of signing with the Pirates. Unless otherwise noted, clubs have not confirmed the deals. As the list below indicates, we try to project as far off into the future as possible. Every player set to receive a bonus of $2 million or more is included in this ranking, with a smattering of players with high six-figure bonuses and up included as well, players who emerged as favorites of mine throughout the process. -- $500,000Jeremy Ciriaco, SS, D.R. He's big and athletic with explosive power that stems from a combination of raw strength and excellent bat speed. Blue Jays: Orelvis Martinez, SS/3B (No. International free agency remains through at least 2026, when the collective bargaining agreement expires. 1/MLB No. on September 15, 2022 Once the international signing period opens on Jan. 15, 2023, there should be 15-20 infielders who will sign for at least $1 million. -- $300,000, RockiesAlessander De La Cruz, D.R. -- $425,000, DodgersJesus Tillero, RHP, Ven. 69)Signed for $1.3 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2017, Valera was one of the best offensive prospects in that year's international class. This is a premium power bat with easy plus raw power to all fields. 9)The Red Sox picked fourth in the 2021 Draft, their earliest selection since 1967, and landed MLB Pipeline's top-rated prospect in California prepster Mayer. His slider works into the mid-80s with sweeping action and short vertical tilt. Because these players are so close in age to the younger prospects who participate in any given domestic draft, I like to use theoretical draft position as a barometer by which to grade the international amateurs. . by Retrosheet. 1/MLB No. 3/MLB No. -- $300,000, MetsDaviel Hurtado, LHP, D.R. The fastball eats. Perennial contenders like the Dodgers and Yankees, teams that usually pick late in the draft, use international free agency to add high-end prospects to their farm system. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra. Tampa Bay signed Colmenarez to a $3 million deal back in January because of his potential at a premium position. Los Angeles Dodgers. White has been up to 96 and many believe he'll approach triple digits when it's all said and done. An overview of the rules that govern signing international amateurs can be found on MLBs glossary here, while more thorough and detailed documentation can be found starting on page 287 of the CBA (forgive the 2017-21 version the full text of the latest agreement isnt publicly available yet), and page 38 of the Official Professional Baseball Rules Book. The consensus best hitter and best defender in this year's crop -- high school or college -- he also has at least solid power and homered twice in his first eight pro games in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League. Wilson showcases 40-grade power but many believe he'll grow into fringe-average pop in the pros. He excelled in his full-season debut as a 19-year-old in Low-A, batting .298/.409/.614 in 31 games, but he sustained a hamstring injury in mid-July that's expected to sideline him for the rest of the year. 1 prospect for the Blue Jays since he signed for $3.5 million back in July 2018, and he's backed that up with his performance in his first full season. Bradfield will never been a thumper, but he's got elite vision at the plate, hardly ever expands the zone and walks just about as much as he strikes out. : Dodgers+ ($697,500) More 24. 537. -- $800,000Bladimir Pichardo, RHP, D.R. Combine that with notes from in-person looks (there are sometimes workouts and showcases in Arizona or in close proximity to big MLB events like the Winter Meetings) and supplementary video analysis of my own, and the list is pretty much baked. Jan 30, 2023. Pittsburgh Pirates. Copyright 2023 Baseball America Enterprises. He can pitch backwards off the slider and change-up with ease and has good command and feel of his entire arsenal. While his time up a level has been a bit more uneven, he is still only 20 years old and continues to hit for some power and steal some bases, with 14 of each heading into Thursdays games in what amounts to his first full season of pro ball. Youve probably been battered with this question over the past couple months, but any chance the team lists will start rolling out next week? Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Kuehler will need to continue throwing more strikes and ironing down the effort in his delivery as he develops and gets more college innings under his belt, but there's definitive day one upside here if the track record and production continue to impress. News. Hes played primarily in center field as well, only helping his case as a high-end prospect. -- $500,000Rafael Alvarez, 3B, D.R. He started tapping into big power on the showcase circuit but still remains super projectable and likely to add plenty more strength. -- $400,000Carlos Batista, OF, D.R. His profile projects somewhere between Andrew Benintendi and Michael Harris II. Heck, someone who signs Sunday could one day find himself in Coopertown. : Twins ($2,100,000) More 39. He has signed with the Padres for $5.6 million, per MLB.com. Brewers: Sal Frelick, OF (No. Luis Reyes, RHP, D.R. -- $400,000Andres Valor, OF, Ven. 1. Yoeilin Cespedes, SS, D.R. As has been the case with past classes, after these players sign, they will be pulled off the International Players section of The Board and warehoused in a ranking of their signing class for record-keeping purposes. It's a whippy arm with huge projection, but already shoving gas. He's shown feel for spinning the baseball, primarily a low-to-mid 70s curveball with tight tilt that projects. -- $340,000Jose Pirela, OF, Ven. 1 prospect for the Blue Jays since he signed for $3.5 million back in July 2018, and hes backed that up with his performance in his first full season. McGonigle is a smaller, twitchy infielder with lightning for hands and impressive core strength at the plate. Taylors profile is actually carried by the bat, showcasing loud line drive and fly ball exit velocities to his pull-side. Jobe sports four above-average to plus-plus pitches, headlined by a killer wipeout slider, and the Tigers have a recent history of developing top-pick hurlers into Major Leaguers in Casey Mize and Matt Manning. February 27, 2023. Gian Zapata, OF, D.R. Skenes has shown the ability to manipulate the shape of his slider, and it's paid dividents depending on the handedness matchup. Luis Guanipa, OF, Ven. -- $500,000Jose Monzon, INF, D.R. Here are a few of the other top prospects for the 2023 international signing period, listed alphabetically: Dominican SS Felnin Celesten: Celesten, 17, has arguably the best tools seen in international free agency since Wander Franco. He's already incredibly strong and the physical projection portion of his profile may be lacking. 46 INF Dayan Frias. There isnt an official source from which to draw that info early on. Still, the impact and track record against velocity and spin has evaluators believing this is a big league regular bat. The base signing pool for the Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Giants, Mets, Nationals, White Sox and Yankees is $5,284,000. : Tigers+ ($1,100,000) More 49. McGonigle has a loose, flashy glove with bouncy actions on the dirt. Our team has taken in nine showcase tournaments and been closely monitoring fall scrimmages, including sitting in on several exhibitions. He's got the hit tool and the raw power, and he's got the speed to steal double-digit bags as a pro. -- $640,000Rafhlmil Torres, SS, Ven. -- $500,000, RedsAlfredo Alcantara, SS, D.R. That's because the teams themselves know their own class of commits better than anyone but are generally working off older reports or small snippets of more recent looks. The Mariners are expected to sign Celesten. From Detroits stance, it picked up a pitcher who could eventually end up as the best arm of the class. Covering prospects is all about the future, right? 12)Leiter turned down first-round interest as a New Jersey high schooler in 2019 to attend Vanderbilt, where he was spectacular in his lone full season this spring, no-hitting South Carolina in his first SEC start, tying for the NCAA Division I strikeout lead with 179 in 110 innings and helping the Commodores reach the College World Series finals. And Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League and Minor League.. 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