Halos land No. 9 prospect (Horton), No. 2 pitcher (Fana) in int'l haul

The last time the Angels landed a Top 10 international prospect, he went on to become a two-time American League MVP and arguably the premier player of his generation. While Shohei Ohtani (No. 1, 2017) is in a stratosphere all his own, the excitement is palpable around Jeyson Horton, the No. 9 prospect in the 2026 class with whom the club has reached an agreement as the signing period opens.

The Halos also agreed to terms with one of the premier pitching prospects among this year’s class in Dominican right-hander Kendri Fana (No. 46).

Horton is expected to land a $2 million signing bonus, while Fana will fetch $525,000, according to a source. The Angels received $6,679,200 in pool money this year.

A longtime standout performer in his native Dominican Republic, Horton has a smooth left-handed stroke and a feel for getting to the barrel. At just 5-foot-9, while he might never be a huge home run threat, evaluators are bullish that his line-drive approach and all-around athleticism will aid him in impacting the game on multiple fronts.

Horton has top-of-the-order traits with an advanced eye that helps him work counts and ample speed on the basepaths to wreak havoc for the boppers behind him. He displays smooth actions with the glove, bolstering the idea that he could stick at shortstop as he enters the pro ranks. He won’t turn 17 until next month, giving him an even longer leash of development.

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Also playing his entire first campaign as a 17-year-old will be Fana, who needs only to look up the organizational ladder to find a success story as a starting pitcher from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. José Soriano is 10 years Fana’s senior, but the right-hander has emerged as a consistent member of the Angels’ big league starting rotation after signing as an international free agent in March 2016.

Fana is considerably ahead of Soriano at the same age. Equipped with a fastball that consistently sits in the 88-91 mph range, Fana has shown both an average slider and a developing changeup in his blossoming repertoire. Pitchers don't often make MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 International Prospects list (primarily due to the lack of track record and overall risk that comes with handing out significant signing bonuses to 16-year-old hurlers), but Fana’s polish and feel for his delivery land him at No. 2 among pitchers in his class.

The club is also tremendously high on left-handed-hitting outfielder Carlos Castillo, who will reportedly pull down a $1 million signing bonus, according to a source. Viewed as a pure left-handed hitter with doubles pop, Castillo earns high marks for his ability to work an at-bat. The Dominican Republic native has the wheels to swipe bags and cover ample ground in center field, giving credence to the thought that he could stick at the premium spot as he makes his way through the Angels’ system.

Los Angeles’ Top 30 Prospects list is flush with the club’s labors on the international market. Thirteen members of the list came that route, including headlining signees Joswa Lugo (the club's current No. 5 prospect who signed in 2024), Nelson Rada (No. 7, 2022) and Gabriel Davalillo (No. 11, 2025).

But even in a system notorious for challenging its top prospects, it can take some time for international players to make their way toward Anaheim. Ohtani was a unicorn, largely due to his years spent as a pro in Japan before he came stateside. Even Denzer Guzman (No. 8), who received a $2 million signing bonus in 2021, took more than four years to make his Major League debut this summer as a 21-year-old.

At the lower levels alone, the Angels have prioritized up-the-middle players on the international market who figure to all make their push toward the Big A as a unit: Lugo, catchers Davalillo, Juan Flores (No. 17), Dario Laverde (No. 19) and Marlon Quintero (No. 26), and outfielders Hayden Alvarez (No. 23) and Randy De Jesus (No. 27). Horton and Castillo will only strengthen that group, as will Fana for the organization’s blossoming core of high-upside hurlers.

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.