Philly Leader

For amateur baseball players worldwide, January 15 marks a significant milestone as the international signing period begins. This day often serves as the first step toward a potential Major League Baseball (MLB) career for many young athletes.

Typically, the majority of players signing are high school-aged in the U.S., reflecting the lengthy development journey ahead. However, this year stands out due to Roki Sasaki from Japan, the top international prospect who is already 23 and considered ready for MLB play upon signing. "Roki Sasaki figures to factor prominently atop MLB Pipeline's Top 100 overall prospects list as soon as he puts pen to paper."

Sasaki's negotiation window extends until January 23, with three teams vying for his signature. His eligibility to sign depends on each organization's available international pool money.

Aside from Sasaki, other notable prospects include Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez from the Dominican Republic. He is compared to All-Stars Francisco Lindor and José Reyes for his performance in the 18U World Cup. Elian Pena, another shortstop from the Dominican Republic, is praised for his plate discipline and batting skills.

Cris Rodriguez, also from Santo Domingo like former top prospect Eloy Jiménez, shows offensive potential with consistent extra-base hits throughout his amateur career.

The fifth-ranked prospect is Andrew Salas from the United States, known for his bilingual abilities and training at his family's complex in Venezuela. He excels defensively at multiple positions despite being young.

The global reach of baseball continues to expand with more countries participating actively in professional baseball. For instance, Bhutan has shown an interest in baseball recently. The 2025 class includes players primarily from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela but also features talent from Cuba, The Bahamas, Aruba, Japan, Nicaragua, and one player born in the United States who moved to Venezuela.

Eligibility criteria require players to be registered with MLB beforehand and aged between 16 and 17 by specific dates.

The bonus pool allocation varies among organizations: Cincinnati Reds (CIN), Detroit Tigers (DET), Miami Marlins (MIA), Milwaukee Brewers (MIL), Minnesota Twins (MIN), Oakland Athletics (OAK), Seattle Mariners (SEA), Tampa Bay Rays (TB) have $7,555,500 available; while San Francisco Giants (SF) have $4,146,200 after forfeiting $1 million for Willy Adames' signing rights.