MLB's 2026 international signing period opens on Thursday, and its importance can't be understated. While the vast majority of players are teenagers years away from reaching the big leagues, history tells us that the impact some of them make once they get there will be enormous.
In 2025, four players who finished in the top six in MVP balloting originally signed via the international amateur market: Geraldo Perdomo, José Ramírez, Julio Rodríguez and Juan Soto. The same was true of National League Cy Young Award runner-up Cristopher Sánchez as well as World Series heroes Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk, Andy Pages and Miguel Rojas.
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Below, we identify the top international prospect in each team's farm system:
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AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: Juan Sanchez, 3B/SS
With a $997,500 bonus, Sanchez was Toronto’s second-highest addition in the 2025 international class and took off quickly with a .341/.439/.565 line and eight homers in 56 games in the Dominican Summer League. The right-handed slugger backed that up with impressive exit velocities for his age and a repeated ability to pull the ball in the air. He split time between third base and shortstop, but all attention will be on his bat as he heads stateside at 18 years old in 2026.
Orioles: Samuel Basallo, C/1B
Back in January 2021, the Orioles re-entered the international market by signing Basallo for $1.3 million, then a record for the organization. He has one of the best power bats among all prospects and is considered to be at the top of the young catching heap. He made his Major League debut shortly after he turned 21 last year following posting a .966 OPS at Triple-A. During his brief time in Baltimore, he showed his arm will play too as he threw out 38 percent of potential basestealers.
Rays: Anderson Brito, RHP
Only a $10,000 signee out of Venezuela in November 2023, Brito joined Tampa Bay as part of a three-team trade in December and might be coming to the organization at just the right time. His workload has been limited in the Minors, most recently by a stress reaction in his right shoulder, but he’s coming off a dominant stretch in the Arizona Fall League, where he fanned 22 of his 47 batters faced. The 5-foot-10 righty earns strong grades for his upper-90s fastball, upper-80s sweeper and mid-80s curveball. Even his upper-80s changeup, which doesn’t pop as much, generates a high percentage of whiffs.
Red Sox: Franklin Arias, SS
One of the top defenders in the 2023 international class, Arias has lived up to his reputation with the glove since signing for $525,000 out of Venezuela. He also has exceeded expectations at the plate, winning the batting title (.355) and MVP honors in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League in 2024. He slashed .278/.335/.388 with eight homers and 12 steals in 116 games while advancing from Single-A to Double-A at age 20 last year.
Yankees: Carlos Lagrange, RHP
Signed for a mere $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic in February 2022, Lagrange started reaching the upper 90s with his fastball just four months later and topped out at 103 mph last season. After back inflammation and control woes hampered him in 2024, he placed third in the Minors in strikeouts (168 in 120 innings) and K percentage (33 percent) while reaching Double-A last year. Besides his heater, his mid-80s slider, upper-80s cutter and low-90s changeup each can miss plenty of bats.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Guardians: Angel Genao, SS
Genao finished fifth in the Minors in batting (.330) in 2024 before a right shoulder sprain cost him two months and contributed to a .259/.323/.359 line at Double-A at age 21 last season. Signed for $1,175,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, he's a switch-hitting infielder with advanced bat-to-ball skills and a high baseball IQ.
Royals: Kendry Chourio, RHP
One year after signing for $247,500, Chourio vaulted his way to becoming top pitching prospect from last year’s international class after climbing from the DSL to Single-A Columbia in his age-17 season. He posted a 3.51 ERA with 63 strikeouts and only five walks in 51⅓ innings across three levels. The 6-foot righty has the stuff to back up the numbers with a 93-97 mph fastball and two above-average secondaries in his upper-70s curve and mid-80s change. If the stuff and results hold over longer outings and larger samples in 2026, he could be a quick addition to the Top 100.
Tigers: Josue Briceño, 1B/C
Briceño followed his breakout and MVP-level campaign in the Arizona Fall League by proving how well he can perform over a full and healthy season. He hit .266/.383/.500 with a career-high 20 homers over 100 games between High-A and Double-A. His immense strength drives his ability to make hard contact from the left side, and he has a solid history of taking his walks at all levels. He’s a below-average defender behind the plate still, but the bat will play at the cold corner should he expand his playing time there in ‘26 and beyond.
Twins: Eduardo Tait, C
Tait initially signed with the Phillies out of Panama for just $90,000 in January 2023 and some internally thought he might follow a Carlos Ruiz path to Philadelphia, but after representing the Phillies in the Futures Game, he was sent to the Twins at last year’s Trade Deadline in the Jhoan Duran deal. He’s a left-handed-hitting backstop with a ton of power (career .804 OPS) and he reached High-A last year. He’ll spend most of the 2026 season at age 19.
White Sox: William Bergolla, SS/2B
Bergolla fits the same contact-hitting, speed-and-defense middle-infielder profile as his father, William Sr., who played briefly in the Majors for the 2005 Reds. Acquired from the Phillies in a July 2024 trade for Tanner Banks, he batted .286/.342/.333 with 40 steals in 125 games for Birmingham's Double-A championship club.
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
Angels: Nelson Rada, OF
A year ago, we moved Joswa Lugo ahead of Rada in this story, but while the shortstop signed in 2024 had a decent year in the Arizona Complex League last year, Rada has taken a large step forward. He spent nearly all of the year at age 19 and hit .292 with a .398 OBP and 54 steals across Double-A and Triple-A, really turning things on at Salt Lake with a .323 average and .433 OBP over 42 games there.
Astros: Kevin Alvarez, OF
Alvarez has yet to make his U.S. debut but already is drawing acclaim from some evaluators as the best prospect in Houston's system. Signed for $2 million last January after leaving Cuba three years earlier, his 6-foot-4 frame and left-handed swing have prompted some comparisons to Kyle Tucker. He slashed .301/.419/.455 with more walks (23) than strikeouts (19) and 11 steals in 47 games in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League.
A’s: Leo De Vries, SS
De Vries trailed only Roki Sasaki on our 2024 Top 50 international prospects list and the Padres, as they are wont to do in this market, signed him for $4.2 million and sent him straight to full-season ball for his affiliated debut. He held his own there, getting hot late before a shoulder injury shelved him, but he made up for some lost time as a 17-year old in the Arizona Fall League. He was performing well at High-A when, after going to the Futures Game, he was sent to the A’s in the Mason Miller deal at the Deadline. The A’s eventually nudged him to Double-A and he responded by posting a .910 OPS in 21 games.
Mariners: Lazaro Montes, OF
Signed for $2.2 million in January 2022, Montes has established his bona fides as one of the best power-hitting prospects in the game. Also a 2025 Futures Gamer, Montes reached Double-A at age 20 a year ago and hit a combined 32 homers for the year. He brings high exit velocities wherever he goes and has a career .911 OPS to show for it, with more to come if he can cut down on the swing-and-miss just a little.
Rangers: Sebastian Walcott, SS/3B
Touted as the best player ever to come out of the Bahamas even before he signed for $3.2 million in 2023, Walcott successfully navigated Double-A at age 19, batting .255/.355/.386 with 13 homers and 32 steals in 124 games. He has well-above-average raw power and arm strength as well as the potential to become a solid hitter and who can stick at shortstop.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: Didier Fuentes, RHP
While the Braves had their full bonus pool back for the 2022 international signing period, the best player from that class appears to be Fuentes, who signed out of Colombia for just $75,000. His fastball has gained some ticks and misses bats thanks to a low release height and impressive vertical approach angle. He was rushed a bit in getting called up for his Major League debut last year just days after he turned 20, but he has the stuff to start if he can improve his overall command.
Marlins: Starlyn Caba, SS/2B
The key prospect in the trade that sent Jesús Luzardo from the Marlins to the Phillies in December 2024, Caba is one of the best defensive prospects in the Minors. He doesn't have much pop and a sprained left thumb sidelined him for two months, resulting in a .222/.335/.278 slash line, but he's a switch-hitter with bat-to-ball skills and plus speed.
Mets: Elian Peña, SS
Peña grabbed plenty of attention by signing for $5 million during last year’s international period, the second-highest bonus given to any player behind only Roki Sasaki’s $6.5 million. The left-handed-hitting shortstop may have disappointed by opening 0-for-26 in his first nine DSL games, but he hit .338/.461/.610 with nine homers, 18 steals and more walks (34) than strikeouts (29) in 47 contests the rest of the way. With his combination of swing decisions and power, there’s the potential for Peña to be above average in multiple offensive departments, and if he can stick at shortstop (which the Mets expect), then all the better. Consistency will be a focus in his first stateside season.
Nationals: Jarlin Susana, RHP
The January 2022 signee out of the Dominican Republic has long been prospect famous for his high-octane fastball, a heater that ran up to 103 mph in 2025, but his 85-88 mph gyro slider is even better at missing bats, with a 58 percent whiff rate between High-A and Double-A last season (per Synergy). Walks continue to be an issue for the 6-foot-6 righty, and he’s currently on the mend from September lat surgery -- two issues that won’t help him fend off the belief in some circles that he’s a future closer (albeit a dominant one). Susana is still only entering his age-22 season.
Phillies: Aroon Escobar, 2B
Escobar didn’t impress right out of the gate after signing for $450,000 in January 2022, spending two years in the DSL with little to show for it production-wise. Something clicked when he came stateside, and he hit .338/.495/.481 in 24 Florida Complex League games during a 2024 season interrupted by shin splints. That proved not to be an anomaly as the infielder began the 2025 season with Single-A Clearwater and ended it with Double-A Reading, finishing with a combined 15 homers and 24 steals.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Brewers: Jesús Made, SS/2B
Two years after joining the Brewers for $950,000 out of the Dominican Republic, Made has developed into one of the best prospects in baseball, full stop. The switch-hitting infielder not only jumped to full-season ball in his age-17 season, he climbed to Double-A while hitting .285/.379/.413 with six homers and 47 steals over 115 games. His bat speed and quick-twitch movements in the box should help him for average and power at the higher levels, and he could be a candidate to see Milwaukee well before his 20th birthday.
Cardinals: Rainiel Rodriguez, C
Signed for $300,000 out of the Dominican Republic in April 2024, Rodriguez, who spent some time stateside as a kid in Pennsylvania, has quickly asserted himself as one of the best power-hitting catching prospects. His 20 homers in 84 games across three levels last year were tied for seventh-most among all Minor League backstops; no other age-18 catcher hit more than 14. He has room to grow on the defensive side, but he does a decent job of controlling opposing running games.
Cubs: Moisés Ballesteros, C
Signed for the second-highest bonus ($1.2 million) among catchers and Cubs signees in the 2021 international class, Ballesteros won Cubs Minor League Player of the Year awards in 2023 and 2024 before posting the best numbers of his career (.314/.386/.473 between Triple-A and Chicago) last season. He's an advanced hitter with 20-homer potential, though his ability to remain behind the plate is a question.
Pirates: Edward Florentino, OF
Florentino, signed for $395,000 in January 2024, started off the 2025 season at No. 23 on the Pirates' Top 30, but ended it in the top five and firmly in the Top 100. The left-handed hitter tore up the FCL (1.084 OPS over 29 games) then more than held his own in a move to full-season ball, finishing his age-18 season with a combined .948 OPS, 16 homers and 35 steals. He’s also proven that he’s a no-doubt outfielder after there were early concerns he’d have to move to first base.
Reds: Alfredo Duno, C
One of the top catchers in the 2023 international class, Duno signed with the Reds for $3.1 million that January. The big, strong right-handed hitter impressed right away with his bat in the DSL and moved to full-season ball for his U.S. debut in 2024, a season cut way short by a broken rib. He returned with a vengeance in 2025, leading the Florida State League in home runs, OBP, SLG and OPS before finishing things off with four homers in three Arizona Fall League playoff games.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
D-backs: Jansel Luis, INF
Entering his fifth year of pro ball, Luis still has intriguing projection as a 20-year-old with above-average speed, good ability to manipulate the barrel and decent power that hasn’t actualized into homer totals just yet. The switch-hitter can certainly expand the zone too much, but he makes ample contact anyway, leading to a .304 average in 102 games with High-A Hillsboro last season. He’s moved around the dirt plenty in his early career but looks best away from shortstop.
Dodgers: Josue De Paula, OF
Born in Brooklyn and the cousin of former NBA point guards Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, De Paula moved to the Dominican Republic and signed out of there for $397,500 in 2022. His combination of swing decisions, exit velocities and a 6-foot-3 frame have elicited comparisons to a more athletic version of Yordan Alvarez. He batted .263/.406/.421 with 12 homers and 32 steals in 98 games as a 20-year-old at Single-A and won MVP honors at the Futures Game.
Giants: Josuar Gonzalez, SS
The consensus best position player in the 2025 international class, Gonzalez signed for $2,997,500 out of the Dominican Republic before slashing .288/.404/.455 with 19 extra-base hits and 33 steals in 52 games in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. He's a switch-hitter with electric bat speed from both sides of the plate and 30/30 potential.
Padres: Ethan Salas, C
Salas shot out of the gate after signing with the Padres for $5.6 million in January 2023 and was ranked as the No. 1 catching prospect in the game a year later because of his well-rounded skill set. Then he struggled at High-A in 2024 and played only 10 games last summer due to a stress reaction in his lower back. Still only entering his age-20 season, Salas has enormous potential, and provided he stays healthy, the strength of his defense gives him a good floor. But 2026 will be a big prove-it year for the Venezuelan backstop.
Rockies: Robert Calaz, OF
After signing for $1.7 million in January 2023, Calaz came to the States in 2024 after impressing with a .984 OPS in the DSL upon joining the organization. He kept raking, hitting his way from the Arizona Complex League to full-season Fresno and finishing with an OPS of 1.079 in ‘24. He struggled more with his approach in a return to the level in 2025, though he still managed to hit 10 homers in 99 games.