Rangers flex international muscle again with Top 10 signee, No. 3 hurler

For the fourth time in the past five years, the Rangers have landed a Top 10 prospect as the international signing period gets underway. Elian Rosario (No. 10) earns top-of-the-chart marks for his work ethic and has already produced significant exit velocities while continuously tapping into his considerable raw power.

To boot, they’ve also agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Frandel Pineda (No. 47), who slots in as the third-highest-ranked hurler in the 2026 international class.

Texas received $6,679,200 in pool money this year, spreading it around to deliver another high-upside class under the tutelage of Hamilton Wise, the club’s director of international scouting and development.

Just two years ago, the Rangers turned to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to sign outfielder Paulino Santana (Texas’ No. 19 prospect), the top outfield prospect in his international class. But long before that, the capital city of the D.R. fed into its longstanding connection with Rangers baseball, namely in the form of Globe Life Park’s newest statue: Adrian Beltré.

Rosario is the latest standout in the organization’s link to Santo Domingo. Already 6-foot-2 and a well-put-together 195 pounds at age 17, there’s tons of physicality to work with. Despite his significant power exploits, he receives high marks from evaluators for his ability to control the strike zone and not expand it in favor of hunting extra-base hits.

Though Rosario starred at shortstop as a youngster, he’s recently moved to the outfield. While out there, he’s shown surprisingly quick feet for his size, and when coupled with his plus throwing arm, some scouts believe he’d seamlessly slide over to third base in the pro game. Ultimately, his bat will move him up the ladder as he has the early look of a middle-of-the-order force.

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Michael Pineda made nine starts against the Rangers throughout his nine-year Major League career from 2011-22. Now his nephew, Frandel, is set to join the organization as a high-upside signee.

Hurlers don't often crack the Top 50 International Prospects list (mainly due to limited mound experience), but Texas is excited to get Pineda into their pitching development lab, handing him a $350,000 signing bonus, per a source. Pineda is already 6-foot-2 at age 17, and his fastball sits 92-94 mph with carry and has touched 95 on occasion. He has the type of loose and whippy arm action that fosters the expectation of even more velocity in the tank as he fills out.

A solid strike-thrower, he has a three-pitch mix in his heater, slider and changeup. His delivery will still need to be ironed out, but it’s an enticing starter kit for a prospect with professional pedigree.

Beyond the pair of Top 50 prospects, the Rangers are exuberant about a trio of under-the-radar signees they’ve agreed to deals with -- outfielders Carlos Done and Jesus Chavez and catcher Santiago Ramirez.

Done is a switch-hitter from the Dominican Republic with an all-around feel for hitting from both sides of the dish. A terrific athlete, he played the infield as a youngster before recently converting to the outfield. Scouts now believe he could stick in center field and eventually far supersede his reported $200,000 signing bonus.

At 6-foot-2, Chavez boasts tons of physicality and has one of the smoother right-handed strokes in the 2026 class. He drilled a walk-off home run to punch Venezuela’s ticket to the 2024 U15 World Cup in Colombia, then went 7-for-18 with a pair of doubles and six RBIs across eight games during the tournament.

Chavez is likely a corner outfielder in the long run, but his bat will dictate his movement through the Rangers’ system. He trained in Venezuela with César Suárez, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program, who also previously oversaw the development of top prospects Jackson Chourio and Ethan Salas during their time as amateurs.

Ramirez boasts a similarly minded offense-first profile that will land him a $300,000 bonus, per a source. He has a stocky build, but the hope is that -- à la Alejandro Kirk and Moisés Ballesteros (the No. 53 prospect in baseball) -- he can tap into his power to complement his gifted bat-to-ball skills. The club likes the accuracy of his throwing arm, and, when coupled with his offensive exploits, believes he could be well-positioned for success out of the gate in the Dominican Summer League.

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.