With less than a week until MLB teams are able to begin signing international prospects (July 2nd, to be precise), I thought it would be beneficial to take a look at some of the top names available on this year’s market, as well as some possible sleepers.
The Twins have had some success on the international market in the very recent past. Felix Jorge, Lewis Thorpe, Jorge Polanco, and, oh yeah, Miguel Sano are all guys who entered the system via international signings. This year, the Twins have some money to play with. Their bonus pool is $3.686 million, which is the fifth-highest of all MLB teams.
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MLB.com has put together a really great list of the so-called top 30, complete with scouting reports and video. This is where I did the bulk of my research, though I also looked up additional video where I thought it was necessary/fun to watch. For this article, I’ve decided to keep my list to the top 10, plus three honorable mentions. Most of the players on the top 10 list haven’t been connected to the Twins, but the honorable mentions are guys I think could conceivably enter Minnesota’s system.
1. Dermis Garcia, SS, Dominican Republic
This kid looks intimidating just standing on a baseball field. He’s huge, for one thing, measuring 6′ 2″ and 182 lbs. How big were you at 16? He has appropriately drawn comparisons to a teenage A-Rod because of his size and his powerful, easy going swing. He does a good job keeping his hands inside the baseball, and scouts rave about his bat speed. His approach at the plate is considered an asset, and it’s expected to further improve once he signs with a MLB team. The only knock against him that I can see is that his footwork can be a little inconsistent in the field, but really, he isn’t number one on this list because of his defense. The kid can flat out rake. Word around the campfire is the Yankees are the favorites to land Garcia. Of course.