Loaded Talent in the International Signing Pool, and Potential Twins Targets

5. Juan DeLeon, OF, Dominican Republic

I think DeLeon could be the best signing of this year’s pool. The consensus among scouts is that he could likely develop into a five-tool player. Indeed, he already hits for both average and power, and his defensive abilities are good enough that he could play all three outfield positions. At 6′ 1″ and 175 lbs., he has an athletic frame that isn’t finished maturing. He keeps his hands in the hitting zone when he swings, and he’s really quite graceful in the field. Given the dearth of outfield talent in the Twins system (except for Byron Buxton, of course), I would love to see the Twins make a run at DeLeon. I haven’t seen them connected to him in any way, but then again, no one predicted the Kendrys Morales signing, either. The Yankees have been identified as the leading candidates to land DeLeon. We’ll see how this one plays out.