This 2025 int'l signee is zooming up A's prospect rankings

The Athletics loved the upside of Breyson Guedez as the 2025 international signing period opened and they backed up that belief by handing him a $1.5 million signing bonus, the third-highest in their class.

But there was also a bit of risk associated -- as a teenage standout in his native Venezuela, Guedez swung at almost everything. It allowed him to hone his elite bat-to-ball skills but it led to murmurs about whether or not he’d be able to lay off wild pro hurlers (particularly those at the lower levels) and get to enough extra-base power.

Sometimes, you just trust the knack for finding the barrel.

Guedez has done plenty of that in his stateside debut this year for Single-A Stockton, having impressed so mightily during his 53-game run in the Dominican Summer League last year (.359 average, 46 RBIs) that he skipped the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League entirely. With MLB Pipeline refreshing its Top 30 Prospects list prior to the Trade Deadline, the 18-year-old has shot up the rankings, landing at No. 8 overall.

Guedez undoubtedly took his lumps as the season began. Despite collecting multihit efforts in four of his first five games, he hit just .250 with a .624 OPS over April and May, running an uncharacteristic 28 percent strikeout rate. But once the calendar flipped to June, he has been scorching hot, hitting .370 with eight games of three or more knocks. He ranks third in the California League in average since June 2 and fourth in RBIs (35), having plated at least one run in 11 of his past 17 games entering play Friday.

But about that power. Listed at just 170 pounds, there’s undoubtedly still room for Guedez to fill out his frame. Factor in that his mom was a sprinter, and it’s another glimpse into how the 18-year-old could continue to grow his all-around game as he moves through the A’s system.

It hasn’t taken long for the organization to notice. Guedez appeared in six Cactus League games this spring and went 4-for-9, including crushing a homer off veteran Padres starter Michael King that traveled 450 feet at 110.4 mph off the bat.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay decreed Guedez an “impressive young talent” that day, further backing up the idea that he has as much helium as any hitter in the system. He entered the spring as a breakout candidate with the full attention of Ed Sprague, the club’s director of player development.

"He has the bat and power, an accurate and strong arm and he gets good jumps and reads," said Sprague in March. "He's more of a corner [outfield] guy but he just has a knack at the plate. There are some Rafael Devers comps."

Guedez has seen time at all three outfield spots with the Ports, but has recorded the majority of his starts in left field. Moving off the premium position will put more pressure on the bat, but that’s ultimately his calling card either way -- his 30.8 percent line-drive rate through his first 83 contests ranks second among qualified hitters in the Athletics’ system and leads the California League in 2026.

In a system bursting at the seams with exciting international talent -- Shotaro Morii’s "three-way" prowess, Johenssy Colome’s gifted hit/power combo and Leo De Vries’ all-around impact -- Guedez has managed to find a way to stand out by doing what he’s always done best: getting the bat to the ball and stacking up hits in bunches.