The Signing Period

The International Signing Period has just begun, but a ton of players have already signed with their respective clubs. These players sometimes risk their freedom to come play in America, so they deserve some praise. So, I will list my personal favorite prospect at every position.

OF – Emanuel Luna

Emanuel Luna has been nicknamed “The Dominican Aaron Judge” and for good reasons, too. Luna has an impressive swing that is full of raw power. He’s got enough speed to play in all three positions of the outfield. But his bat will make him stand out from other prospects. On January 15th, 2026, Luna signed a contract that gave him a $2.3M bonus upon signing with the St Louis Cardinals.

LHP – Diego Castelo

Mexico Pitching Prospect Diego Castelo is a top Left-Handed pitching prospect in this year’s class. He features a fastball that tops out at 91 with room to improve. Diego is now only 16 years of age. It is incredible that he already has a three-pitch mix with that amount of velocity. The San Diego Padres managed to sign him to a contract with a bonus of $1,000,000.

Yilmar Samudio – RHP

Panamanian Righty Yilmar Samudio has some of the highest velocity out of the entire class this year. His fastball currently sits at about 95 MPH with room to improve as he climbs the ranks. Yilmar is praised for his frame that complements his fastball. The Philadelphia Phillies signed him with a $100,000 signing bonus. He is exciting to watch. His fastball could easily ramp up to 98 within the next few years.

SS – Wandy Asigen

It was a really tough choice between Wandy and Hernandez. Though I think Wandy is going to be the better prospect within the next few years. Wandy Asigen decommitted from the New York Yankees. He switched over to sign with the New York Mets before the period opened up. It’s not hard to see why the Mets wanted him. Wandy has shown exit velocities of 110MPH+ during exhibition games. Wandy’s arm is completely average, yet he joins my list due to how insane his bat is. Wandy also has plus speed, which definitely helps him on the bases and could give him some versatility. Wandy signed a deal with the Mets that had a signing bonus of $3.9M on January 15th.

C – Diego Pacheco

Diego Pacheco is a really fun catcher that’s a part of this class. Diego’s swing is one of the best among all the catchers in this class. He has enough speed to steal double-digit bags as a catcher! Diego also has a plus arm, according to various scouts. Diego Pacheco signed with the Cincinnati Reds once the period opened up that included a signing bonus of $700,000. If he’s capable of handling pro pitching, he could be the entire package.

1B – Patrick Silva

Patrick Silva is an underrated choice for this list. He hasn’t received the same coverage as some of the other prospects. Silva is from Italy where he has competed in various tournaments showing his skills off to scouts and fans alike. Silva impressed the Phillies. They signed him and gave him a signing bonus of $20,000. Silva should be a really fun name to watch in 2026. He brings a lot of power to his bat.

2B – Juan Cespedes

Juan Cespedes is a fun addition to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s farm system after they signed him for a bonus of $300,000. Cespedes has tremendous bat speed and is praised for his speed on the bases. He is presently signed as an infielder. Yet, due to his current skills, he will most likely end up playing second base throughout the minor leagues. If that doesn’t work, he could join the outfield.

3B – Elian Rosario

Elian Rosario is an exciting prospect to look forward to from the Texas Rangers’ 2026 class. Rosario has the ability to have triple digit exit velocities almost regularly. His swing allows him to easily launch balls that can deal serious damage once hit. Rosario has one of the best power-based bats out of the entire class according to various scouts. It’s not hard to see why. The Rangers quickly saw this and signed him for a bonus of $2.5M.