Hanley Ramirez, the 2006 National League Rookie of the Year, enjoyed a 15-season big league career that saw him amass 271 homers, 281 steals and a career .847 OPS. A dynamic international prospect in his own right in 2000, Ramirez now gets to watch a quarter-century later as his son, Hansel, is set to join the pro ranks as a member of the Rangers’ 2025 international class.
The younger Ramirez has an uppercut right-handed swing reminiscent of his father’s. Using his back leg for leverage, he features a slight front-foot toe tap that allows him to get to his extra-base pop. Despite his young age, Hansel has an advanced approach at the dish, rarely chasing pitches outside the zone and showing a keen eye during in-game reps.
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Following in Hanley’s footsteps, Hansel is expected to play on the dirt as his pro career gets underway.
Joining Ramirez in the Rangers’ signing class is 17-year-old Dominican outfielder Elorky Rodriguez, who is 29th on the list of MLB Pipeline’s top international prospects. Rodriguez trains with John Carmona at Academia La Javilla, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.
Rodriguez’s deal is worth $1,097,500, while Ramirez will land $125,000. The club received $6.26 million in pool money this year.
Rodriguez is seen as a bat-first prospect at this stage of his development, one with a pretty left-handed stroke with ample room for projection. At just 5-foot-10, he has shorter arms, but also an ability to pepper the ball to all fields with consistency.
Although Rodriguez will sign as an outfielder, he’s shown more defensive flexibility than others in his age group. Having played all three spots on the grass, he’s also gotten a few looks at second base, a testament to his all-around athleticism. He draws rave reviews from evaluators for his baseball aptitude, acumen off the field and work ethic.
One year ago the club landed Paulino Santana, then the No. 2-ranked prospect in the 2024 class. Lauded as having five-tool potential, the right-handed-hitting outfielder (Texas’ No. 10 prospect) put together a strong stint in the Dominican Summer League this past year, delivering a .465 on-base percentage with far more walks (52) than strikeouts (38), and also stealing 20 bases.
Fellow 2024 signee Yolfran Castillo (No. 11) was so stellar in the DSL -- putting together a .414/.552/.471 slash line -- that he made his stateside debut in the Arizona Complex League as a 17-year-old this past summer.
But the jewel of Texas’ international fruits the past few seasons has proven to be Sebastian Walcott, the club’s No. 1 prospect. The native of the Bahamas is so advanced offensively that the club promoted him to Double-A Frisco to close out the 2024 season when he was just 18 years old; many evaluators believe he has the mark of a future No. 1 overall prospect.
All of that is to say that the Rangers have struck veritable gold with their increased scouting of the international market -- 13 of their current Top 30 prospects came via that route. Multiple additional signees from the ‘25 class are on the precipice of making the overall Top 50 list, and they could easily factor into the club’s Top 30 in the coming years.
An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team through 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, 2007, and Aug. 31, 2008, will be eligible to sign in the current signing period. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible.
Other notable Rangers signees and their bonuses:
Jhon Simon, INF, Dominican Republic -- $497,500
Oliver Guerrero, OF, Dominican Republic -- $397,500
Emil Martinez, SS, Dominican Republic -- $397,500