Meet the newest crop of Rays international prospects

This story was excerpted from Adam Berry’s Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ST. PETERSBURG -- The start of the international signing period is all about projection. Evaluators try to predict what 16- and 17-year-old players might someday become. Those young players can imagine big league futures. It’s an important day, but also the start of a long journey.

The Rays signed 23 players on Monday, Day 1 of this year’s international signing period. The group was headlined by outfielder Leonardo Pineda, MLB.com’s No. 18 international prospect, who joined the organization for a $1.75 million signing bonus, according to sources. But the Rays were also pleased with the depth and diversity of the group.

Tampa Bay’s initial 2024 class included 11 players from the Dominican Republic, 11 from Venezuela and one from Panama. The Rays landed four catchers, seven infielders, four outfielders and eight pitchers. There’s also some variety in the profiles of the players who joined the organization on Monday.

“We feel that we’re bringing in a combination of skilled players, tooled players, players that have instincts, and we think it’s a very diverse group of guys with some that have really high upside, some that have a really high floor,” Rays director of international scouting Steve Miller said. “We’re really excited about the group that we’re bringing in.”

Before diving into some of the players the Rays signed, here is a quick look at the top 10 signing bonuses they handed out on Monday, according to multiple sources.

Leonardo Pineda, OF, Dominican Republic: $1.75 million
Angel Brachi, SS, Venezeula: $800,000
Aaron Pinero, SS, Venezuela: $450,000
Deinys Gonzalez, C, Venezuela: $440,000
Carlos Matias, CF, D.R.: $425,000
Domingo Batista, SS, D.R.: $425,000
Israfell Bautista, SS, D.R.: $400,000
Sebastian Perez, RHP, D.R.: $310,000
Andreimi Antunez, SS, Venezuela: $300,000
Ismael Del Rosario, OF, D.R.: $300,000

The beauty of baseball is that star players can come from anywhere, regardless of their Draft status or the size of their signing bonus. It’s also unpredictable, with talent emerging at different parts of the developmental journey. But here are five names to keep in mind as they begin their professional careers.

The top prospect: Pineda

Pineda’s prospect ranking and signing bonus reflect his status and reputation. His bat is his calling card, Miller said, as the 16-year-old features a compact right-handed swing with above-average bat speed and well-above-average power that he’s already using to all fields.

The Rays were also impressed by the work he put in defensively. Pineda is most likely to wind up as a corner outfielder, though he’ll be an asset there with his above-average arm strength, athleticism and foot speed. But he has put in enough time on his reads and jumps that he could start his career in center. That work ethic is one reason Miller noted, “His makeup is as good as anyone that we have.”

The top infielder: Brachi

“If Pineda falls in the tools category,” Miller said, “Angel falls in the skill-and-instinct category.”

That’s high praise for Brachi, whose natural feel for the game helped him grow on the Rays the more they watched him on the field, especially in game settings.

Brachi, 17, is a steady defensive shortstop who seems likely to stick at the position. He may not be the most dynamic athlete in the infield, although scouts like his footwork and arm strength, but he consistently made plays and displayed impressive dependability for someone his age. He complements his defensive ability with well-above-average contact skills and enough strength to believe he’ll grow into 15-20 home run-type power.

The top catcher: Gonzalez

At first, the Rays thought Gonzalez was a bat-first backstop with a game based on power more than contact at the plate and arm strength more than receiving behind it. But he changed some opinions, giving them reason to believe he’ll become a well-rounded player.

He’s still an offensive-oriented prospect, but his skills, footwork and receiving have improved enough to make him a potentially average defender with a strong arm behind the plate. That would play just fine given his offensive upside.

The 16-year-old has shown an ability to hit high-velocity fastballs, identify offspeed pitches and get to everything thanks to his above-average contact skills. He doesn’t whiff much, even when he makes poor swing decisions, which results in some weak contact that could be reduced as he gains a better feel for the strike zone.

The top pitcher: Perez

There’s plenty of projection here, as the 17-year-old is listed at 6-foot-3 and 162 pounds. He’s throwing his fastball in the 88-91 mph range now, but the Rays anticipate he’ll eventually bump that up to 94-97 as he fills out his frame. The right-hander also features a potential swing-and-miss breaking ball.

Those traits make Perez the most interesting pitcher in the current class, with the best opportunity to reach his ceiling as a top- to middle-of-the-rotation starter.

“He continues to get better,” Miller said. “Really good makeup, really good work ethic, and the ball just really jumps out of his hand.”

The sleeper: Antunez

The 17-year-old shortstop received a $300,000 bonus, which isn’t necessarily noteworthy on Day 1 of the international signing period while the top prospects are getting 10 times that much (or more).

But the Rays are high on Antunez, with Miller calling him “one of our favorite players in this year’s class,” and believe he could become an exciting prospect. He’s a dynamic defensive shortstop with above-average hands, footwork and actions. He’s got the athleticism to be a plus defender in center field, and he’s joked with evaluators about getting behind the plate just to show that he can do it.

Pair that with Antunez's excellent makeup, his solid swing mechanics and bat speed and his developing impact at the plate, and you can understand the Rays’ excitement.

“When he gets some strength underneath his belt, he has as high of a ceiling as anyone in this class, regardless of which team signed him,” Miller said. “Just a really impressive defensive player who not only has a chance to hit, but could end up developing into a little power down the road.”