Yahoo Sports 5 MLB prospects to know for International Signing Day 2025
Happy International Signing Day, baseball fans!
What? You didn't realize January 15 was the official opening of the next wave of the offseason? Ok, that's fair. There's been a lot going on lately. We get it.
The good news is we've also been paying attention to the international prospect pool so you don't have to. While you may be familiar with Roki Sasaki and the sweepstakes for the Japanese sensation's services, there are a ton of other names out there worth keeping an eye on.
Here's how this all works, per MLB.com:
OK, onto the players (non-Roki Sasaki Division).
Andrew Salas, SS/OF
If the No. 5 overall prospect in the international class rings a bell, it's because you may already be familiar with older brother Ethan Salas (a top prospect in the Padres' organization who was also the No. 1 international free agent in 2023) or his father, Jose Antonio Salas, who spent time with the Atlanta Braves farm system. Andrew, 16, hails from Venezuela, though he was born in Florida. He's rated 55 on scale of 20-80 with a 65 hitting grade. Salas will have plenty of suitors.
Elian Pena, SS
Ranked No. 3 in this year's international class, the 17-year-old from the Dominican Republic is already earning some eye-opening praise from evaluators. MLB Pipeline in particular gushed over his "oodles of bat speed" and "some of the most advanced plate discipline seen on the international scene in years". Yeah, someone is going to pay him handsomely quite soon.
Wilfri De La Cruz, SS/3B
A 6'2", switch-hitting infielder from the Dominican Republic named De La Cruz? Where have we heard this before? Ok, first things first, Wilfri is not related to Cincinnati Reds star Elly, but he is considered by MLB Pipeline to have one of the "higher all-around upsides in his class".
Carlos Alvarez, LHP
You have to scroll a little bit to find the second-highest ranked pitcher in this year's class on the MLB Pipeline rankings. While Sasaki has a stranglehold on the No. 1 spot, Alvarez is ranked No. 39. In a way, this makes plenty of sense. Roki is MLB-ready. Alvarez, at 17 years old, is much tougher to project. The Dominican prospect stands 6'3" and pairs a fastball clocked at over 90 miles per hour with a fierce slider, but has a long way to go before he's considered an MLB arm.
Gabriel Davalillo, C
The top catcher on the board is ranked No. 17 overall by MLB Pipeline, but has a tremendous pedigree. Pompeyo Davalillo broke into the Majors with the Washington Senators in 1953. His brother Vic enjoyed a 17-year career in the big leagues, too. David Davalillo is a pitcher currently working his way through the Rangers organization. And here comes Gabriel, a 17-year-old from Venezuela who's best attribute at the moment is his power at the plate, which MLB Pipeline notes is generating some comparisons to Francisco Alvarez.
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This article originally appeared on For The Win: 5 MLB prospects to know for International Signing Day 2025
