As some clubs gear up for pennant races and others begin to look toward getting there themselves in 2025 and beyond, where they find commonality is in utilizing the international prospect market to help to build future success.

Elly De La Cruz, arguably the Majors’ most electrifying player? An international signee. Juan Soto, soon to command a potentially record-setting deal as a free agent? Signed out of the Dominican Republic. Jackson Chourio has taken the express lane and gone from being a member of our 2021 Top 50 International Prospects list to a key contributor on a division winner in 2024 while putting himself in conversation for Rookie of the Year honors.

• 2025 Top 50 International Prospects list

The international signing period will open on Jan. 15, 2025, and run through Dec. 15, giving all 30 clubs a chance to ink players. For those ballplayers, it’s a momentous, life-changing occasion. For the scouts, trainers and countless individuals involved behind the scenes, it’s often the culmination of years’ worth of effort.

Baseball fans know talented ballplayers come in all shapes and sizes from different quadrants of the globe. Some blossom at a young age, while others’ developmental paths need a little bit more seasoning. International Signing Day is just under three months away, but for now, here are the names to know at the top:

No. 1: Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez, SS (Dominican Republic)
Switch-hitting shortstops with a polished approach at the plate from a young age are sure to draw lofty comparisons, and there’s no shortage of them with it comes to Gonzalez. His ceiling has been held in the same regard as All-Stars Francisco Lindor and José Reyes.

Gonzalez is a much more polished product from the left side of the plate (his natural side) and displays plus bat speed with an advanced feel for the barrel. He was regarded as the standout performer of the 18U World Cup in Panama during early August. In a seven-game stint, he went 8-for-22 with four extra-base hits, more walks than strikeouts and five stolen bases. Boding well for his future up the middle, evaluators often first discuss Gonzalez's instincts for playing shortstop. He has a potential plus arm, coupling that with quick hands and twitchy actions. More »

No. 2: Elian Pena, SS (Dominican Republic)
While the city of Azua, Dominican Republic, has recently churned out big leaguers such as Yainer Diaz, Maikel Franco and Esteury Ruiz, early expectations are that Pena could be the best of the group. Evaluators rave about his off-the-field makeup and in-game savvy, believing he has legitimate five-tool impact potential across the board.

Pena’s hit tool is his calling card. Equipped with oodles of bat speed from the left side, he complements his propensity for hitting the ball hard with some of the most advanced plate discipline seen on the international scene in years. It’s rare for a prospect so young to have a keen eye for the zone, but Pena routinely puts it on display while spraying the ball to all fields when he does cut it loose. He has routinely shown the actions and feel for shortstop, adding in smooth hands that make it likely he'll see the majority of his time there. More »

No. 3: Cris Rodriguez, OF (Dominican Republic)
Eloy Jiménez was the No. 1 international prospect in 2013, a right-handed slugger with prodigious power from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Rodriguez, who is already 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, is in many regards a near carbon copy of Jiménez, hailing from the same city with a similarly offensive-minded profile and extra large frame at a young age that has evaluators dreaming on what he can become if he taps into his All-Star-caliber upside.

Rodriguez has done damage during every step of his amateur career, consistently generating extra-base hits. The downside to such a robust power profile is that there are swing-and-miss concerns he’ll have to iron out as he sees an increased amount of top-notch breaking stuff in the pro ranks, but scouts point to his pitch recognition skills as a way of counteracting unease. Equipped with a frame that all but assuredly will push him to right field as he matures, Rodriguez has gotten run in center as an amateur. He covers ground with his long strides and is nimble and quick for his size. More »

No. 4: Andrew Salas, SS/OF (United States)
Andrew is the youngest of the Salas boys with both Jose and Ethan becoming highly regarded international prospects before him. Born in Florida before moving to Venezuela, Salas is bilingual and has long been trained by his father at the family’s famed complex where big leaguers have been known to stay sharp during the offseason.

Salas sees the ball exceptionally well and backs up that eye at the dish with good swing decisions. The time spent facing pro pitching both at his family’s complex and in Venezuelan leagues makes him uniquely suited to quickly adapt to the rigors of organizational ball. He holds the distinction of being viewed as a plus defender at two different positions despite his young age. While he sees the majority of his time at shortstop due to his skill set, some evaluators believe he may be even better suited for center field as he enters the pro game. More »

No. 5: Yorger Bautista, OF (Venezuela)
Nicknamed “La Bestia” (The Beast) for his exploits in tournaments vs. older competition, Bautista is on a path toward being one of the biggest signings out of Venezuela in recent years. The left-handed hitter has routinely showcased elite bat speed and raw power in front of evaluators. Some say it’s the best they’ve seen on the international scene in half a decade. That double-plus power coming from his 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame bodes well as he continues to gain experience and in-game reps.

Bautista’s strength pops at the dish and so does his throwing arm from the outfield. Boasting one of the strongest arms in the class, he backs that up with a plus glove. He’s also an impressive runner who has been clocked at 6.4 seconds in 60-yard dash times. More »

Breakdown
We’ve always known baseball as a global game, but that fact has become more prominent in the past few years: The world’s most remote country, Bhutan? They love baseball! The first pro ballplayer born in Siberia was drafted just two months ago. What’s San Marino? The country where this Pirates prospect is from!

With that in mind, here’s a look at how the 2025 class shakes out, globally and positionally:

Twenty-nine of the players on the 2025 Top 50 International Prospects list are from the Dominican Republic. There are 14 prospects from Venezuela, three from Cuba, one from the Bahamas, one from Aruba, one from Nicaragua and one from the United States (who moved to Venezuela as a youngster). Position-wise, there are 26 infielders, 16 outfielders, one infielder/outfielder, four catchers and three pitchers.

Who is eligible?
There are guidelines for signing international prospects. A player is eligible to sign with a Major League organization between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year. In practical terms, that means players born between Sept. 1, 2007, and Aug. 31, 2008, will be eligible to sign in the upcoming signing period. Players have to be registered with Major League Baseball in advance in order to be eligible.