He struck out a third of the time and posted an OPS of just .602 before being shut down for the remainder of the season in mid-June. SS Ricardo Cabrera, Venezuela: Arguably the best hitter available this year, Cabrera is also a sound defender with "soft hands, good footwork and the type of range that will make him at least an average shortstop," according to MLB.com. At the same time, players like Victor Acosta, Gabriel Gonzalez, Cristian Santana, Samuel Zavala, Junior Marin, and Carlos Jorge went from afterthoughts to coveted stashes. Hell work six or more innings and never throw a fastball below 95 mph, sitting 96-98 for the bulk of the outing. Still, lvarez was 20 and facing Double- and Triple-A pitching, and its prudent to project growth in this area. Williams was a two-way high school player who was talented enough to be considered a prospect as both a shortstop and a pitcher.
Each MLB Team's Breakout Prospect Turning Heads in 2022 The Phillies moved McGarry to the bullpen just before he was promoted to Triple-A at the end of 2022. Some aspects of Mauricios defense need to be cleaned up. At a time when everyone has a camera in their pocket and the internet exists, its almost impossible for an early-round prospect to be hidden in a true sense, though the 2020 shutdown contributed to Carters lack of notoriety. Miller will occasionally show you good secondary stuff. His swing is designed for power; it has a bit of a loop and a steep plane to it, enabling him to crush mistakes to left and center field. Ranking players is a challenge regardless of their age. Hes going to reach base a ton and hit for power. Most of his swings and misses over the last few years have been on fastballs running away from him, but in 2022, he displayed a more advanced ability to poke the barrel at balls on the outer edge of the plate, extending his short levers in an effort to slap outside pitches the other way. The Yankees only had $4,232,700 in bonus money to dish out. Kevin Ereu, SS, Ven. His infield actions are smooth and athletic, his swing has a gorgeous, pronounced finish, and he has the right amount of overt physical projection that he might mature into the unteachable, star-making Goldilocks Zone, where he stays at short and also has impact power. The Rays gave him a $2.3 million bonus to keep him from heading to Cal and have developed him solely at short. Here are a few of the other top prospects for the 2022 international signing period: SS William Bergolla, Venezuela: Bergolla's father, William Sr., appeared in 17 games with the Reds in 2005. Hes only been able to pull breaking balls that dont quite finish. -- $1,000,000Juan Hernandez, SS, Ven. Ramos often pulls off pitches on the outer edge and swings inside ones hed ideally either contact or spoil. If he does that while getting to most of his power, hell be one of the better players in baseball its just that De La Cruz has struck out a concerning 30% of the time. At this time last year, they were signing Dominican shortstop Hans Montero. Sebastian Walcott, SS, Bahamas: Rangers+ ($3,200,000) More 9. Its possible hell find a way to play a mold-breaking style of third base defense over time, but an elbow sprain (which happened amid a throwing program to try to improve his arm strength) ended his 2022 and required a PRP injection, which is often a precursor to Tommy John for pitchers. In that case, were talking about a rock solid everyday player in the Mark Canha mold, and in fact Vargas career has tracked in a similar fashion, especially as we stand on the precipice of a likely position change. on January 15, 2022 Major League Baseball's international signing period opens on Saturday, Jan. 15 for the 2021-22 class. He was suddenly a young-for-the-class college bat who might have gone very high in the draft if hed hit like he had the year before and gotten better at second base. Hunt for the College Ticket and Elite Extra Edition Optic set, which will feature this year's top draft picks on opti-chrome cards . If a draft is put in place before then, it will likely impact how much money those players receive and which team they end up working for. Stone was an athletic small-school prospect with a powerful drop-and-drive delivery and short, vertically-oriented arm action who the Dodgers selected late in the shortened 2020 draft. He loads his hands high and cuts down at the ball, which makes him tough to beat in the upper two thirds of the strike zone because Peraza is so short to those locations. *Teams will be allowed to trade international bonus slots during this signing period starting Jan. 15. Its been called international signing day. For now, his ability to bend and get deep into his legs, as well as his lateral agility and range, is pretty amazing for a player his size. Filippo Di Turi, SS, Ven. -- $497,500Jose Mejia, INF, D.R. Janero Miller, OF, Bahamas: Marlins ($950,000) More 17. After an uptick in fastball velocity a couple of years ago, Olsons four-seamer is still resting comfortably around 94-95 mph. The Dodgers and Rangers each forfeited $1,000,000 from their pools for signing players who had rejected qualifying offers to lower their pool to $4,144,000. It looked like he would continue his dominant performance at the higher level. This isnt a common injury and the industry wasnt quite sure what to make of its impact on his trajectory. Hes a well-rounded star and franchise cornerstone. Were he an infielder, there would be times when a manager would want to substitute for him because of how rough his defense can be, but you dont really want to remove a hitter like this from your lineup in the middle of a game. Hollidays range, hands, actions and arm are all above average, while his baseball instincts and internal clock are both very good, and season his defensive skill set enough to project him as a long-term shortstop even if he keeps getting bigger. Its bat-missing capabilities are limited to the bottom arm-side portion of the zone, where this two-seam-ish fastball tends to finish. : Rockies ($1,700,000) More 25. If not, hes a Phillippe Aumont sequel. His innings were limited an effort to keep his workload light as he focuses on adding size and muscle to his frame. The Houston Astros officially signed Panamanian right-handed pitcher Antony Aparicio to a minor-league contract Thursday. He has been a hot knife slicing butter all the way through Double-A and shows little signs of stopping. (MLB.com) By MiLB.com Staff January 15, 2021 They may. Indeed, his arm will certainly keep him at shortstop, as he demonstrated when he seized the spotlight at the 2022 Futures Game by recording the fastest ever throw across the infield since such measurements have existed, at 100.5 mph. His arm strength (a 70 on the scale two winters ago) was not as consistent in recent looks but is still strong.
MLB international signing period: Where the top international prospects 2022 MLB Draft Top 100 Prospects Prospects Live Arizonas relatively new Amarillo affiliate is especially extreme relative to the rest of the Texas League. But that said, there will always be deep, competitive dynasty leagues to take a shot on the unknown is a viable strategy. Lee is a skilled, switch-hitting shortstop (for now) with power. A high-probability shortstop with a long-limbed, projectable frame, Hernandez was your traditional international amateur who excels in a workout environment. That bat speed, in conjunction with his short levers, allows him to track pitches well, resulting in impressive swing decisions for such a young player. His injuries reduced the sample size, but Merrills contact metrics from the regular season are incredible. 4. This sort of offensive player would be a good everyday third baseman and a star shortstop. -- $450,000Fabian Lopez, SS, D.R. It can be tough to turn over a changeup from his arm slot, but that slot is also part of how Bibee creates depth on his curveball, which has become a show-me pitch that he lands in the zone at will. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. His four-seamer sits comfortably around 96 mph with gravity-defying carry, and a scout Tess spoke with described his curveball as having the potential to become a similarly elite offering. McGarry still has below-average control and only throws his pitches for strikes at a 60% clip, but hes come a long way since his days at Virginia, when he was walking a batter per inning and was passed over in the 2020 draft. The good news is that Chourio made adjustments throughout the year, ditching his leg kick with two strikes. -- $800,000Bladimir Pichardo, RHP, D.R. The amount of power here is sensational. And now, a few important things to keep in mind as youre perusing the Top 100.
Yankees: Top international prospects to target in January 2023 The bumps and bruises that come with catching 100 games often make it tough for catchers to sustain peak offensive performance, and Cartaya hasnt been exposed to that yet. By his senior year of high school, Holliday already had. Johanfran Garcia, C, Venezuela Red Sox ($850,000) More 35. : Phillies ($3,000,000) More 14. at High-A Wisconsin for the last month of the season. This is one of those cases. Were projecting heavily on Abels command in anticipation of him growing into his body and arm speed. Add to that performance his track record as a clubhouse favorite with natural leadership abilities and his multi-positional utility, and Lewis is primed for an everyday role as soon as his health allows. His approach (a sticking point at this site in the past) has gotten better, with his chase rates now hovering close to average. It is alright to target one of the premium talents early if you believe in him. So far that looks to have been the correct assessment, as Williams hit 19 homers, tallied 51 extra-base hits, stole 28 bases and solidified shortstop as his future defensive home during his 2022 foray into full-season ball. That tendency applies here as well. Its fair to consider him a high-floor, low-variance prospect because Romos defensive ability and rocket arm make him very likely to be a plus defender at maturity, and even a one-note style of offense (Romo both lacks power and is relatively impatient) tends to profile at catcher. To say he looks like a steal is a drastic understatement at this point, as he is one of the most exciting young hitters in the minors, with elite power potential and superlative on-paper performance at Double-A throughout 2022, all while he was still not old enough to have a beer.
MLB international signing period roundup | MiLB.com Even though his career walk rates are extremely low (7%) for a complex-level prospect (where pitchers often struggle to throw strikes), Bleis chase rates are closer to average. Because just a few months of physical development can be quite meaningful for such young athletes, prospects have a tendency to change a lot between when they make a handshake deal with a team and when they actually sign. Luciano had persistent back issues that followed him to winter ball. Hes a complete hitter who will likely produce some 25-30 home run seasons by virtue of his contact quality and frequency, and some .400-plus OBP seasons because of his plate discipline and speed. He returned three months later and labored through a rocky September with Norfolk, during which he struggled with walks. He lacks the raw power of a typical big league first baseman, but Manzardos feel for sweet spot contact should enable him to clear the lofty offensive standard at that position. Considered too advanced for the teams Dominican complex, he made his stateside pro debut in 2019 and followed that up by posting a .941 OPS across two A-ball levels in 2021 while still a teenager. Romo has a plus glove and plus-plus arm but likely wont make a huge offensive impact. Bibees velocity ticked way up in pro ball, and he has command of a mid-rotation starters four-pitch mix. Mayo keeps hitting despite his odd swing, and we think the hit/power combo will be enough for him to be an impact player, even with a move off the dirt projected. Possibly even a Hall of Famer. And for much of the season, that seemed to be the case: White started the year at High-A, doling out 81 strikeouts against just 19 walks in 58.2 innings of work before being promoted to Double-A Frisco at the end of June. Hes okay at second and third base, but the Blue Jays infield is already pretty loaded, so hes likely to see time in the outfield this year. document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a7bf68d6b9a4d3fa424865cb41953ca6" );document.getElementById("fe53143262").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Still, there are all kinds of hit tool red flags here, both in the data and in Williams visual scouting report. Fernando Tatis Jr. took another step toward rejoining the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. The 2022 international free agent signing period began today, and as expected, the Yankees have made a big addition. If he and the Rockies can find a way to be on time against fastballs, then theres a shot for a real breakout here, but its tough to ask that of someone who, to this point, has been successful. If he does end up having relevant chase issues, he might track like a left-handed hitting Brendan Rodgers, but Johnsons makeup and personality are so universally lauded that its fair to expect him to make relevant adjustments and become a key cog on Pittsburghs next competitive team. Big league pitchers will be able to limit the damage Turang does by working him in the bottom half of the zone, where he struggles to lift the ball. By virtue of this precision, he might have peak years with 20 homers or so, very similar to Brantley. The international amateur arena is a procedural and ethical mess that has undergone wholesale structural changes several times during my time as a writer, most recently because of what the pandemic did to shift the timeline of each signing period. His right-handed swing is pretty grooved, but still powerful, while his lefty swing is more skillful and dynamic, giving him a potent contact/power blend. Historically, Wesneski has favored his four-seamer overall, though against big league righties, his awesome slider and sinker out-paced the heater in terms of usage, with both secondaries garnering above-average chase rates and aiding his ability to maintain a high groundball rate. While he could stand to be a little more consistent on defense (many balls got through him early this past winter with Licey), the range, bend, hands, and arm strength to play short are all comfortably here. -- $300,000, MarinersSebastian De Andrade, C, D.R. -- $600,000Joan Gutierrez, SS, Ven. His curveball has a 12-6 shape, and hes deployed the pitch to particularly devastating effect against left-handed opponents; between the two levels, only one lefty has recorded a hit on the curveball. I agree to receive the "CBS Sports HQ Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies.
2022 Top Prospects | THE BOARD | FanGraphs He can be beaten with high velocity more regularly than anything else, but if pitchers miss and catch too much of the meat of the zone, that mistake is going to get hit hard somewhere. Vargas is expected to show more raw power and rack up extra-base hits as he fills out his frame. McGarry has three plus pitches but also the worst control on the Top 100.
Cubs Favorites to Sign "Consensus" Top Prospect in the 2024 40/50. : Tigers+ ($1,250,000) More 33. Mead is a career .306/.376/.517 hitter in the minors and hit .298/.390/.532 throughout a 2022 season spent mostly at Double-A Montgomery, with about a month of reps at Triple-A Durham tagged on at the end. Updated: July 16, 2022. -- $320,000Juan Frances, OF, Ven. Hence was picked up in the shortened 2020 draft, one of the youngest players taken that year, and in 2021 threw just eight innings on the complex, virtually all in relief. Defensively, hes of the Carlos Correa ilk in that his arm strength allows for some wiggle room regarding his hands and pure fielding ability. An outstanding international find for $175,000, Peraza is a plus-run, plus-glove shortstop with average pull power. No more. Merrill is Michael Brantley, except at shortstop. Hassell doesnt have premium ball-striking power and is probably a corner outfielder, so the contact piece of his profile needs to rebound in a big way for him to continue projecting as a regular.
Nine Questions with Rece Hinds | Express Weve concluded he does. He dominated Double-A for a month before he was shut down with a knee injury at the end of April, and he started having shoulder issues during his rehab. He projects to be similar to J.P. Crawford in skill and statistical output, a player good for 2 WAR annually. Henderson, still just the age of a college draft prospect, had one of the best offensive performances in minor league baseball in 2022 and made his big league debut late in the season. Accurate information on international players can be hard to find, but bonus size is generally a good proxy for prospect status. He has a pronounced bat wrap. Hes not a great defender right now, and probably wont ever be better than a 40-grade glove, but Davis frames high strikes well and has plus raw arm strength.
International Prospect Update and Signing Period Preview Abel has long thrown hard for his age, his velocity steadily climbing into its current 95-97 mph band up from the 90-94 range when he was first known to FanGraphs as a prospect. Batys swing has made it tough for him to lift the ball in games, but a 2022 tweak may have unleashed the beast. After sustaining an arm injury during spring training, Miller spent most of 2022 rehabbing. Romos offensive performance is impressive considering he only turned 21 near the end of the 2022 season, though in another sense its troubling because hes such a physical guy and yet has such poor ball-striking power. March 1, 2023. Despite the number of international prospects to emerge as elite MLB players in recent years, its still a risky proposition in general. Collier walked a unique amateur path en route to a signing bonus as large and impressive as his power and arm strength. In a 2022 split evenly between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus, he slashed an impressive .263/.392/.496 with 21 homers and 20 steals, walking nearly as much as he struck out while with the Rubber Ducks. His on-paper whiff and chase rates are about average, while his peak power and hard hit rates are at the top of the scale for a hitter his age. Quants and front office analyst types are more bearish, citing issues with Priesters fastball playability.
2022 MLB Draft Prospects With The Loudest Scouting Tools at Perfect March 1, 2023. Born in Panama, Espino had the best arm strength among the high school pitchers in the 2019 draft, but concerns about his delivery and arsenal depth dropped him to the 24th overall pick. -- $650,000Yeiker Reyes, OF, Ven. Weve manually adjusted Netos ETA to reflect the Angels tendency to move their prospects more quickly than their stock 40-man timeline. There are some players who are as aggressive as Mauricio (or more so) who find a way to be impact players anyway and almost all of them tend to make enough in-zone contact to buoy their overall offensive output. Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2023 7:42 AM ET, Park Factors
Twenty-five of the players on the 2021 Top 50 International Prospects list are from the Dominican Republic. He does look quite vulnerable out there but it isnt an issue opposing pitchers have consistently been able to exploit just yet. 1 pitcher available this signing period. Still, there are complicated issues that surround a potential draft. Wood compares to a young Adam Dunn as a power-hitting outfielder of considerable size. Carter has plus soft skills but doesnt have the power for stardom.
Houston Astros Release Three International Prospects in 2022 MLB Free Rafaela had a breakout 2022 season, hitting .299/.342/.539 mostly at Double-A Portland. He slashed .327/.426/.617 combined at High-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery (for the final month), hitting 22 homers across the two levels. Plus, lvarez isnt nearly as chase-prone as Alfaro and has much more power than Bart, so he should outperform both. His long speed gives him a shot to stay in center field, but his routes to balls can be a bit of an adventure. Lee played short at Poly, but based on his size (Brad Miller is a fair body comp), straight line speed (hes heavy-footed from home to first, in the 4.5s) and his medical, clubs tend to have him projected to third base. The 55 FV pitchers and above tend to have some combination of monster stuff and good command, whereas the 50 FV pitchers often have one or the other.