SS Manon headlines Braves' 2026 international signing class
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The Amateur Scouting League annually features some of the game’s premier up-and-coming talent during summer competition in the Dominican Republic. Shortstop Jose Manon, one of the circuit’s standout performers the past few seasons, headlines the Braves’ 2026 international signing class as the No. 15 prospect on this year’s Top 50 list after all his strong play at home.
Manon is expected to receive a signing bonus of around $1.5 million, according to a source. The Braves received $6,679,200 in pool money this year and are set to spread that around to a variety of high-upside talent.
By landing Manon, the Braves have secured a top 15 international prospect for the third consecutive season, making them one of just three clubs (in addition to the Mets and Mariners) to have done so in that span.
At 6-foot-2, Manon is a physical and strongly built right-handed hitter with a high contact rate and propensity for crushing balls, especially to his pull side. During his time in the Amateur Scouting League, he went 8-for-26 with seven RBIs and 7-for-7 on stolen-base attempts across nine games.
A preternaturally gifted amateur, Manon has spent the majority of his time defensively at shortstop. There’s sure to be significant competition as he enters pro ball, but he has the quick feet and traits to remain at the position as he continues to get stronger. He trained in the D.R. with Amaurys Nina, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.
The club also has come to an agreement with Dominican outfielder Starlyn De La Cruz, a left-handed hitter who has showcased considerable bat speed during his time as an amateur. He swings hard and repeats his barrel path well, coupling an advanced feel for hitting with the intent to do damage in the box.
Scouts have wondered how much extra-base impact De La Cruz could ultimately provide, as he is a tad on the shorter side at 5-foot-10, but he figures to affect the game both on the basepaths and in center field, where his plus run tool helps him cover a ton of ground. He just narrowly missed being included on this year’s Top 50 International Prospects list.
Atlanta has ponied up a significant signing bonus each of the past four years but eschewed that strategy to spread out its funds in 2026. Three of those seven-figure signees -- Diego Tornes (No. 14), Jose Perdomo (No. 15) and Luis Guanipa (No. 20) -- are currently among the club’s Top 30 prospects, but they’ve also excelled at finding relative bargains in the form of shortstop John Gil (No. 13) and right-handers Didier Fuentes (No. 7), Jhancarlos Lara (No. 21), Rayven Antonio (No. 27) and Elison Joseph (No. 29).
While international prospects are often many years away from contributing at the big league level, adding talent (particularly of the high-end variety) to the farm system is always a positive. Julio Teheran posted a 6.60 ERA in his debut Rookie-level campaign in 2008. Ronald Acuña Jr. hit .269 in his first taste of pro ball in 2015, the same year that Ozzie Albies went homerless across 98 games at Single-A.
Development -- and success -- isn’t always linear, even for the highest-profile signees. As Atlanta retools its system and begins to look toward who ultimately will contribute to the next wave to play at Battery Avenue, it’s put a strong foot forward to open the 2026 international signing period.
An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year. That means players born between Sept. 1, 2008, and Aug. 31, 2009, will be eligible to sign in the current signing period. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible to sign.