Phillies' top two 2026 int'l signings off to torrid starts in Dominican Summer League
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As the Phillies continue to roar back into the National League playoff picture at the big league level, a new season has gotten underway down on the farm this week: The Rookie-level Dominican Summer League.
The club’s two prized hitters on the club -- Juan Parra (PHI No. 22) and Francisco Renteria (PHI No. 3) -- have hit in the top two spots of the order for the first three games. They combined for six hits, six runs scored and to reach base safely seven times Thursday afternoon as the DSL Phillies topped the DSL NYY Yankees, 9-8, at the Yankees’ complex in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic.
Renteria, who ranked third on MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 International Prospects list this January, was consistently among the group of players that evaluators said could wind up being the best player from the 2026 class. It’s just three games, but he’s off to a blistering 6-for-12 start, having hit the ball over 100 mph on multiple occasions. Already 6-foot-3 and 216 pounds, he has earned some Konnor Griffin comps for how fluid he plays as a teenager.
Parra racked up four hits and swiped a pair of bags Thursday, making him just the fourth Phillies Minor Leaguer since the start of last year to reach those thresholds in a game, joining Justin Crawford and Dante Nori (PHI No. 5). He’s already drawn three walks in three games, helping him run a .500 on-base percentage.
There is a lot of nuance that goes into putting together the Top 50 International Prospects list, particularly toward the end of the list. Players at the top -- like Renteria -- have long been industry darlings who enter pro ball with considerable hype. While the $550,000 signing bonus that Parra received is nothing to sneeze at, it's one of the lower ones among the Top 50. The 17-year-old has emerged as something of a late bloomer coming out of his native Venezuela. Or as one talent evaluator said last year while compiling notes on the 2026 class:
“He belongs on the list. He can flat out hit.”
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Students don’t always turn into their teachers, especially right away. But Parra’s base is as good as they come, having trained under Phillies legend Bobby Abreu as an amateur. The switch-hitter gets rave reviews from those inside of the organization for his work ethic and development up to this point, as does Renteria, who excelled as a 15-year-old in the Venezuelan Major League.
Even after the success that the Phillies had on Jan. 15, they weren’t done making moves on the international market. On May 23, the club used its shrewdly increased bonus pool money to come to terms with South Korean right-hander Chan-Min Park (PHI No. 18), who by virtue of landing just over $1.2 million, becomes the highest-paid pitcher in the 2026 class.
Parra, Renteria and Park all have 2030 ETAs (or later) to Philadelphia at this stage. But their presence in the organization bolsters a farm system that has recently graduated Crawford, Andrew Painter and others to The Show.