CLEVELAND, OH – The Cleveland Guardians signed 25 international amateur free agents to open the 2025 signing period.
Among the club’s signings, C Hiverson Lόpez and SS Heins Brito headlined the group and rank among the top players in Latin America, slotting in at No.’s 41 and 48, respectively per MLB.com’s Top 50 International Prospect Ranking.
The club’s international signing class includes 15 players from Venezuela, nine from the Dominican Republic, and one from Cuba, as announced by Senior Vice President of Scouting Paul Gillispie and Director of International Scouting Richard Conway.
“The opening of the International Signing Period is a special time as we celebrate the players, and their families and trainers who have supported them along the way. We are thrilled to welcome this group of players into our organization and look forward to partnering with them in their development. While it’s just the beginning of their professional baseball journeys, it’s important to acknowledge the effort, dedication, and perseverance it took to get to this moment,” Conway said. “It’s also an exciting time for our organization, including our scouting staff, which worked tirelessly in getting to know these players, and we are so thankful and proud for their contributions.”
From MLB.com on Lopez:
…”Lόpez, who trains with Eduardo Becerra, is a native of the port city which lies on the northern coast of the country, boasting an exciting profile of tools with both the bat and glove. Miguel Montero is arguably the most accomplished left-handed-hitting catcher to hail from Venezuela, with Lopez boasting a similar physical profile. At present, he is more of a bat-to-ball hitter who shows a propensity for spraying hits around the diamond, but some evaluators see more pop in there as he continues to fill out. With minimal moving parts to his swing and repeatable mechanics, there’s belief that he can contribute with the stick.”
.…”Lόpez fits the strong-armed, athletic backstop mold to a tee. He also displays soft hands that should work to his benefit as pitch framing becomes more integral as he moves up an organization’s ladder. He profiles as an everyday player due to his advanced instincts and actions from behind the plate, which figure to give him a solid developmental runway.”
From MLB.com on Brito:
“The Banana Baseball Academy in the Dominican Republic has consistently churned out international prospects over the past decade under the tutelage of Raul “Banana” Valera. Brito, a native of San Cristobal, is one of the standouts in Valera’s 2025 class. He’s an all-around shortstop that has the potential to impact the game both with the bat and glove.”
“…his wheels are already a tick above average, which should pave the way for him to impact the game on the basepaths, a one-two punch when factoring in his contact-based approach. He suited up for the DR at the 15U World Cup qualifiers in June 2022, stealing a base and collecting two hits over his limited run.”
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