Los Angeles, California– Who will be in the next group of young prospects in professional baseball that will wow us? How many of them will be Latinos? Here are a few names you may want to write down. They are very young but so was Roberto Clemente when he was first scouted and signed at 18 years old by Pedrín Zorilla with Cangrejeros de Santurce, a winter league team and franchise of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League in 1952.
Photo by Malcolm Emmons- US PRESSWIRE (c) Copyright Malcolm Emmons
First there is 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Fernando Cruz. He is the consensus top prospect on the international free-agent (IFA) market and will most likely sign in the 2024 IFA period. Good news for Cubs fans as they are likely to have the first pick. Then again, they could get major compensation from other clubs for that pick.
Next is a fellow Dominican, 16-year-old shortstop, Leodalis “Leo” De Vries. According to one international scouting director, he may have the highest ceiling of all the prospects in the 2024 IFA market. At 6′ 2″and 165 pounds, he is very athletic and is a switch-hitter, with strength and bat speed from both sides of the plate. The Padres should sign him.
Then, there is 15-year-old Venezuelan infielder Jose Perdomo. Considered the third-best prospect in the 2023-2024 class despite his age. At 5’11” and 175 pounds this kid is going to grow and is expected to be a 30 plus HR big league hitter one day. The Braves are in line to sign him in 2024.
The Atlanta Braves are the favorites to sign Venezuelan SS/3B Jose Perdomo during the 2024 international signing period. Big power & bat speed. Plus throwing arm. Solid athlete. Expected to receive one of the biggest bonuses next winter. Consensus Top 3 guy in the 2024 class. pic.twitter.com/OWbrjfTRss
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) December 20, 2022
Today Latinos make up around 28.5% of all MLB players and there is good reason that that number will only grow in the future. The only problem could be, can teams find a spot for them?
The dynamics of professional baseball today, includes the signing of good prospects to long term contracts at an early age. Sometimes as long as eight-ten years. Something the great GM John Hart began in the 1990’s with Cleveland.
Add to that, the fact that veteran players are playing longer because of the big money they are being offered, eg. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander ($43.3 million per year each for two years). Add to that, career ending injuries of a few years ago, are less because of medical procedures that have lengthened players careers significantly.
All of this is causing a log-jam of legitimate big league players, who are filling rosters, that these young prospects will one day need to crack into.
Hopefully we will get to see the next group of Latino phenoms take their place among the big names in baseball sooner than later.
