9 intriguing signings from the first weeks of the 2026 international period

The 2026 international signing period kicked off with a bang on Jan. 15 as all 50 of MLB Pipeline's top prospects agreed to deals on the opening day. And while the ranked players garner much of the attention, there have been many other intriguing signings over the first couple weeks of the period, whether it be players who were discovered in atypical places on the globe, or by unconventional means, or are otherwise notable.

Here's a look at nine of the more interesting deals to date:

Ricardo Pulles, C, Dodgers
The age-old adage goes, “If you can play, scouts will find you.” But … Russia? Pulles, who represented Spain at the 2024 U18 Euro Championship, was born to a Russian mother and a Cuban father in Moscow and has developed into a switch-hitting catcher with some pop from the left side of the dish. Just five players born in Russia have ever made it to the Major Leagues, although none were raised in the country. Lyle Miller-Green, who was born in Tomsk, Russia, and has been dubbed the “Siberian Sultan of Swat,” is currently in the White Sox system and reached High-A this past year.

Mingxuan Zhang, RHP, Pirates
Pittsburgh has been among the most aggressive organizations in scouring every corner of the globe for talent, having signed players from places such as Nicaragua, Uganda and even San Marino. This time around, they’ve brought aboard the 6-foot-7 Zhang, who was born in China. He sports a surprisingly smooth and repeatable delivery for his size and has ramped up his fastball into the low 90s. Zhang (who has also gone by Johnathan) became the second member of the MLB Draft League to sign as an international free agent (Chen-Wei Lin, STL No. 18 prospect).

Tom Apfelbaum, LHP, Dodgers
Just 22 natives of Germany have taken a Major League mound (who could forget Pretzels Getzien, the nation’s winningest pitcher), and while the developmental leash will be long, Apfelbaum has a strong base to work with. At 6-foot-4, he’s able to dial his heater up into the mid 90s. Working with a slight crossfire delivery and lower-three-quarters arm slot, he can sell his changeup well out of his hand. His father, Georg, is the former chairman of the European Baseball Coaches Association, and Tom has been a longtime standout on the international baseball scene, most recently representing the country at the U18 World Cup in Japan in September.

Kotaro Tsunematsu, OF, Cubs
Meet Tsunematsu, a graduate of Keio University in Japan, one of the nation’s premier academic institutions, who passed on a gig with investment banking giant Goldman Sachs in order to chase his baseball dream. At 22, the right-handed-hitting outfielder is much older than many of his 2026 international class contemporaries, so he’ll need to quickly prove adept at making the jump to pro pitching. Although that fallback plan doesn't sound too shabby either.

Felix Lebron, SS, White Sox
Possibly the under-the-radar gem of Chicago’s 2026 international class, Lebron (who received a $180,000 signing bonus) has tons of bat speed and is an athletic marvel with tons of upside. In addition to having an eye-catching last name, the Dominican infielder owns the plus throwing arm to stick at the hot corner, which is where evaluators feel his long-term home lies, comparing him to former Top 100 prospect Noelvi Marte. And imagine if the White Sox utilize the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 Draft to select Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron, the third-ranked Draft prospect.

Patrick Silva, INF, Phillies
The Philly-Italy connection has been romanticized in the Rocky franchise with Rocky Balboa going by the “Italian Stallion.” And the Phillies’ international scouting department has tapped into the country as a legitimate baseball ecosystem, as well, having inked left-hander Samuel Aldegheri (who went on to make his MLB debut with the Angels in 2024) and right-hander Filippo Sabatini (international class of ‘25). Now comes Silva, who repped Italy at the U12 Euro Championship in 2019, then was among its best players at the U15 Baseball World Cup in ‘24. A left-handed-hitting infielder, Silva -- at just 15 years old -- appeared in 19 games for Settimo in Italian Serie A, the country’s top baseball league, despite being more than 10 years younger than the average player. He comes from a baseball background with his father, Conrado, having played professionally in Cuba.

Alexandre Moreti, RHP, Phillies
The Phillies are also breaking new ground in 2026, signing a Japanese amateur for the first time in club history. Moreti, the son of Brazilian parents, is a recent high school graduate who will forgo both the collegiate and professional routes in his native country to join the Phillies organization fresh off representing Brazil at the U23 Baseball PanAm in October. A 6-foot-4 right-hander, Moreti boasts a fastball that routinely sits in the upper 80s and has touched the low 90s on occasion.

Pietro Rienzo, RHP, Pirates
It’ll be a huge year for Brazilian baseball with a return to the World Baseball Classic in March, ending a 13-year absence. Right-handed pitcher Claudio Pereira landed $500,000 to join the Red Sox, one of the highest bonuses ever paid out to a player from the country. Rienzo is the nephew of former MLB pitcher André Rienzo, who pitched for Team Brazil in the 2013 WBC and the Futures Game that summer before becoming the first Brazilian-born pitcher in big league history in ‘15. Pietro, a longtime standout on the tournament circuit, made a pair of starts for his home country during the 2024 U18 PanAm Games.

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Gilventon Josephina, OF, Reds
It’s been a banner month for baseball in Curaçao, with Andruw Jones selected to become the nation’s first Hall of Famer later this summer. Add in the four players who have already signed pro deals from the island nation and Curaçao could soon add to its total of 17 big leaguers. One of those signees was Josephina, a standout during the nation’s run in the 2022 Intermediate League World Series, which included his towering two-run homer during an elimination game. Now having grown into that power even more, Josephina will look to become the first member of the Reds to have been born in Curaçao since Roger Bernadina in 2014.