The scouting summaries were compiled with information provided by available data and industry sources, as well as from our own observations. 2022 International Top 50 for Dynasty Baseball - FantraxHQ Lucianos bat speed is incredible but his barrel accuracy is not. 2022 Onyx Vintage Extended Series Baseball Box His fastball now sits 95-99 mph, up seven ticks from his college days, and while it currently relies heavily on its velocity rather than its below-average shape, a scout we spoke with was optimistic regarding the 22-year-olds ability to continue to improve the offering, singing Graceffos praises when it comes to his work ethic. Except Ortiz hit 19 homers and had 60 total extra-base hits in the upper-minors last year, and while he doesnt project to produce that kind of power against big league stuff, its enough damage to project Ortizs offense above the median bar at shortstop. By Mark Polishuk | January 14, 2023 at 11:15pm CDT. An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. In fact, his fastball locations are still pretty scattered and his delivery remains quite violent. Drafted out of Wayne State, a Division-II school in Michigan, Browns arm strength and velocity have been sculpted to replicate the power-pitching formula in Houston. Teams will sometimes renege on their agreements if they think the player has regressed, or if one of their other commitments has progressed enough that the team feels compelled to up their offer to prevent another club from swooping in with more money late in process, closer to signing day. Still, Chourio has big-ceiling company in that part of the leaderboard names like Byron Buxton and Adolis Garca are down there, and Julio Rodrguez isnt far away. Still, there are complicated issues that surround a potential draft. He has impeccable hitters timing and a swing that is equal parts balanced and explosive, generating plus all-fields power despite barely utilizing any sort of stride. Given that injury has always been the primary concern for Cavalli, the way his season ended is a letdown after a couple years of exciting progress. Still, the quality of Martes contact, as much as he might make, is not consistent or authoritative, and this was true in the regular season when he looked twitchier and looser than he did in the fall. Hes only been able to pull breaking balls that dont quite finish. During the course of working on the 2023 class, I became aware of about a half-dozen players set to sign in 2025 and 26 who already have verbal deals for north of $3 million. : Tigers+ ($1,100,000) More 49. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. 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 strong skills on the field are matched by his notable family bloodline as his grandfather, father and uncle all played professionally. Hes also added a few ticks of velocity and now sits 93-96 mph, velocity hes maintained across two consecutive years of innings increases. From a heuristics standpoint, you cant do much better than Rodriguezs profile. He was passed over in the 2020 draft despite sitting 94-97 mph in outings that were often seen by decision-makers who were in to scout Asa Lacy and Christian Roa, largely because Miller was very wild. Anthony Baptist, OF, D.R. His stuff is more comparable to the 50 FV starters on this list, but his command should allow him to work more efficiently and eat more innings than most of that group. Cartaya presents the Dodgers with a good problem, as they already have one of baseballs best catchers in place ahead of him and the two are set to overlap on the active roster during the next three to four seasons. We think it's important to note, while these are based on live looks and discussion with team scouts and industry executives, it is awfully early. A Massachusetts multi-sport prep standout (he was the Gatorade POY in football as a quarterback, as well as a lauded hockey player), Frelick emerged as a baseball prospect during his freshman season at Boston College when he hit .361/.438/.594 and went 22-for-24 on stolen base attempts in just 35 games. Its a tall order for a prospect who already has some hit tool risk. 2022 Top Prospects | THE BOARD | FanGraphs When the Double-A season came to a close, Soderstrom was promoted again to close out Stocktons Triple-A season. Hope that his many late-bloomer characteristics (multi-sport, Northeast background, reps lost due to a 2019 knee surgery and then the pandemic) would lead to an eventual breakout in the power department buoyed his draft stock into the middle of the first round. -- $750,000, Blue JaysDavid Guzman, OF, Ven. Among other things,they were docked 50 percent of their bonus pool the last few years as part of the penalties for their 2017 signing scandal. Berry has no position but raked in college, including after he left hitter-friendly Tucson and faced SEC arms. : Guardians+ ($1,375,000) More 29. His delivery is freaky loose, particularly in his upper back and shoulders, which we think portends better future command than hes shown so far in Oakland. His in-zone contact numbers improved throughout 2022, even after promotion. He finished that season with a 10-game A-ball stint, where he struck out in 16 of his 42 plate appearances. Samuel Munoz, OF, Dominican Republic Dodgers More 8. Barger has huge left-handed bat speed and a shot to stay on the dirt, just not at shortstop. But there is a safer way to approach prospects. Im starting from scratch every time I rank an international class, and I have to begin somewhere just to generate the list of available and relevant names. Even when he has to shorten up to protect, the strength in his hands enables him to do extra-base damage. The Rays gave him a $2.3 million bonus to keep him from heading to Cal and have developed him solely at short. As both the Twins and Reds (Steer was drafted by Minnesota and came to Cincinnati in the Tyler Mahle trade) searched for a viable defensive position for Steer, he backed into valuable defensive versatility that should keep him on the field in all but a few game situations. Amador is a well-rounded middle infield prospect with a smaller, almost maxed-out frame that compares to Jimmy Rollins or Domingo Leyba. Martin Gonzales, INF, Dominican Republic Mariners ($1,300,000) More 49. Cristhian Vaquero, OF, Cuba Nationals ($4,925,000) More 3. Esmil Valencia, OF, D.R. His strikeout rate improved upon promotion to Triple-A, albeit in a smaller sample. He practically straddles the plate and was hit by 20 pitches during an injury-shortened regular season, then was somehow beaned seven more times in just 17 Arizona Fall League games. Compreshensive MLB prospect rankings in a sortable, easy-to-read, feature-rich table. His fastball has sufficient action that it still plays at 92-93, and it pairs nicely with his curveball, which is a traditional power pitchers yakker in the upper 70s. While he was already throwing quite hard, Ortiz came into even more velocity in 2022 and averaged 97 mph on his fastball, up two ticks from 2021. Also, the Braves are finally out of the penalty box. He hit a whopping .324/.373/.600 at Low-A Carolina during the first half of the year, then slashed a more pedestrian .252/.317/.488 (as an 18-year-old!) Hes added a hard slider/cutter to his amazing-looking curveball, but his fastball still doesnt miss bats and his report reads like Aaron Sanchezs did. He wasnt tested on the complex in 2022. 2022 MLB Top Prospects - FantasyRundown.com Its possible Marte simply lacks feel for squaring up the baseball, and/or that his power output was caricatured by the hitting environments of Seattles A-ball clubs (Everett is hitter-friendly, and pockets of the Cal League are extremely so), or was simply over-evaluated in the first place. Hes graded with the optimism that these traits will help him manage the swing-and-miss enough to be a multi-time All-Star. He fell behind some of the other high school infielders in his draft class due to doubts that Arroyo could stay at short as well as concerns about his hit tool. The area in which its most important for him to show late growth is on defense. Forty-two of the 57 games he played in the Carolina League came at ballparks with park factors of 116 or more, per research conducted annually by Baseball Americas Matt Eddy. Roughly 30 percent of current MLB players were originally signed as international free agents, including superstars like Ronald Acua Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr.,Fernando Tatis Jr., and Juan Soto. Teams will also not be allowed to trade international bonus slots during this signing period. -- $325,000Luis Lameda, SS., Ven. People with a track record or striking gold on a few lotto tickets tend to be more willing to pursue that path. Hes a little more tightly wound than is typical for a big league shortstop, but Hendersons straight-line speed is plus and so is his defensive range, and his arm strength enables him to make some plays that many other infielders cant. Peraza had another solid offensive season, this time as a 22-year-old at Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre, where he slashed .259/.329/.448, hit 19 homers, and stole 33 bases. Priesters four-seamer is divisive. Juliens stock fell early during the 2019 college season as he struggled badly, then he got hot during a tumultuous postseason run; the Twins drafted him on Day Three. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. The broad strokes of this report read a lot like that of Adam Dunn at the same age: an XXL frame with unusual top-end speed and athleticism for his size, and a chance to fill out in a way that causes him to tumble down the defensive spectrum, but with enough power to support such a fall and then some. This is one of those cases. Like Harper, Collier got his GED a year before he was originally set to graduate, went to a prominent junior college to play against older guys during his draft spring, and then (going beyond Harper) used the later timing of the draft to also play on Cape Cod against an even better collection of talent between the end of the JUCO season and the draft. The Tigers did their homework and signed him for an over-slot bonus in the fifth round, where many teams had written him off as unsignable. Chourio is a hard-swinging center fielder with plus power and speed. Quero is a bat-first catching prospect far away from the big leagues. 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. The area where its most imperative for Tovar to show improvement is his plate discipline. Hernandez has a great skill and athleticism foundation, and he already has incredible power for a shortstop his age, capable of hitting oppo lasers. While this might contribute to some of his in-zone and overall swing-and-miss rates (he posted a 77% Z-contact% and 72% overall contact% in 2022, both comfortably below the big league average), Henderson shows plenty of hitterish traits that instill confidence in his 2022 output. Even after a wildly successful 2021, Mead still cut down on what was already a very modest in-the-box stride and now derives all of his power from the rotation of his hips and the strength of his hands, which have a setup akin to vintage Evan Longoria. We know so much more about the high school and college players. An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. 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. He chased at a 37% rate in 2022, which isnt terrible in a big league context, but is pretty bad when viewed through the minor league lens, where fewer pitchers have chase-inducing stuff. A core scouting rule of thumb is to take the long view with catchers who have impact offensive potential. The Yankees have been busy in the international market the last few years being able to sign both the top International prospect in the 2019 and 2022 classes, Jasson Dominguez and Roderick Arias respectively. Meanwhile, his changeup hasnt yet made the necessary strides to consistently play against advanced righty hitters, and his overall command has plateaued. We already know MLB and the MLBPA are discussing pushing the . Wesneskis slider is really nasty and his entire repertoire fits nicely together. While hes been uniformly dominant in the minors, Prezs stuff hit a different gear in 2022 and he rose to being our no. If he had somehow improved his throwing (which isnt terrible he could play short in an emergency), hed still be behind Oswald Peraza and Isiah Kiner-Falefa in this regard and would end up at second base anyway. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. Williams has hit tool risk, but his power and shortstop defense make him a potential star. Allen was an undersized, pitchability high school lefty who worked 88-92 mph with mostly average secondary stuff and a changeup that flashed plus. He spent most of the rest of the year rehabbing in Arizona, often attending Diamondbacks games in his sling. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year -- in practical terms, that means players born between Sept. 1, 2005, and Aug. 31, 2006, will be eligible to sign in the upcoming signing period. His swing, however, works in such a way that his contact quality tends to be highly variable, his bat path really only enables him to work middle-away with any authority, he gets jammed a bunch, and he doesnt seem to be able to go down to scoop or spoil pitches that finish down-and-in. Yorke may end up as a 40-grade infield defender, but he can really hit, and were staying on him despite a rough, injury-riddled 2022. Plus athlete, "true shortstop". . Last years class had a consensus Big 3 at the top in Wilman Diaz, Christian Hernandez, and Carlos Colmenarez. Starting on the defensive side of the ball, Arias has plus arm potential. The Rangers then took an aggressive approach, assigning him directly to Double-A Frisco for his first year of pro ball in 2022. Felnin Celesten, SS, Dominican RepublicCelesten shows big tools across the board and has a chance to be a five-tool player if he continues to develop at a normal pace. 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. Stone raced to the upper levels of the minors and generated one of the highest swinging strike rates among Double-A pitchers who threw at least 70 innings in 2022. Williams injury history is concerning, but hes talented enough to make a big league impact in the middle of Clevelands 2023 rotation. Bradleys fastball utility, command, and athleticism enable deep projection on his secondary pitches into his 20s. Board Update: 2023 International Amateur Prospects We gravitate toward up-the-middle defenders littered all throughout the minor leagues, and really only tend to push corner bats onto the list when theyre close to the big leagues, or if we have an abnormal degree of confidence that they will continue to hit all the way through the minors. Plus, lvarez isnt nearly as chase-prone as Alfaro and has much more power than Bart, so he should outperform both. Prospects aged 16 and up - born after Sept. 1, 2005 - are. Whichever lucky team gets that selection will be getting a player with plus tools across the board. Williams has a prototypical baseball frame at a strapping 6-foot-2, and has the range, actions, and internal clock to remain at shortstop long-term, as well as a great infield arm. 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. He ran an 83% Z-contact rate in 2022, which again, is right on the precipice of viability, as chase-prone, low-OBP hitters like Ozzie Albies and Jonathan Schoop have shown. Julien finally got underway in pro ball in 2021 and since then, hes had two good seasons en route to a 40-man roster spot. 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. -- $1,000,000Juan Hernandez, SS, Ven. Luis Reyes, RHP, D.R. Lewis missed a chunk of 2019 with an injury before losing all of 2020 to the pandemic. It was exciting that the lanky and projectable Ramirez hit that well as a teenager in full-season ball, though his minuscule walk rate (6.9%), especially during a year when automated balls and strikes seemed to inflate FSL walk rates, was at least a yellow flag. He makes up for mediocre twitch and range with outstanding instincts, elegant body control, lightning-fast hands and actions, and a plus arm. His arm is strong from any angle. MLB international signing period: Top players, including the 'Cuban When he returned to the mound in August, he leapfrogged his way up the minor league ladder. He made his debut with Cubas Serie Nacional with Sancti Spiritus in 2021 and defected later in the year while playing for the Cuban U-23 team in Mexico. He still has some relief risk. He should be the Mets primary catcher as soon as most of the big league pitching staff feels confident and comfortable throwing to him. Watch him hit and you see the breaking ball recognition and low-ball power, as well as the flexibility in Montgomerys lower half that should help him move the barrel around the zone. Because hes a bit stiff, its possible the grind of a full-season will impact his defensive mobility and even his offense if he has to catch 80-plus games. -- $310,000Carlos Monteverde, OF, Ven. Theres substantial bust risk here but the ceiling is huge, too big to move off of Hernandez after a whiff-prone first year stateside.