Eight More International Prospects To Know For July 2

With July 2 less than two weeks away, here are eight more prospects to know who will be eligible to sign when the 2016-17 international signing period begins.

Jean Carlos Carmona, ss, Dominican Republic: Carmona drew praise from several scouts, with the Brewers expected to land him for a bonus in the mid-to-high six figures. He’s a switch-hitter with a good swing from the left side and showed the ability to perform well with hard hit balls in games in the International Prospect League. An average runner, Carmona has a stockier frame for a shortstop at around 5-foot-11, 180 pounds and is physically mature for a 16-year-old, so several scouts thought he would fit better as an offensive-minded second baseman, with third base another possibility.

Diego Infante, of, Venezuela: Even though the Rays are under the penalty and won’t be able to sign anyone for more than $300,000, they are the favorites to land Infante, who some scouts consider one of the top outfielders in the class. He’s lean and athletic at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds with a short righthanded swing, good bat path and extension to go with projectable power. He runs well for his size and earned good reviews for his defense as well, likely fitting best in right field.

Ricardo Mendez, of, Venezuela: Mendez is one of the best defensive outfielders in the class. He’s a true center fielder with 65-70 speed on the 20-80 scale and gets great reactions off the bat with a quick first-step. He’s still frail at 6 feet, 160 pounds, so his lefthanded bat drew mixed reviews, though scouts highest on him thought he made consistent contact and used the middle of the field. He’s expected to sign with the Nationals for just north of $500,000.

Israel Pineda, c, Venezuela: Pineda is another Venezuelan prospect linked to the Nationals for a bonus of around $500,000. He’s an athletic catcher with a thick, strong frame (5-foot-11, 180 pounds) that he will have to keep in check, but scouts who like him think he’ll stay behind the plate with good catch-and-throw skills. He’s a righthanded hitter who stays inside the ball and uses the opposite field.

Luis Mieses, of, Dominican Republic: Mieses, who just turned 16 last month, is a big lefthanded outfielder at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds who stood out for his offensive game, earning praise for his swing and ability to hit with power in games. He has a plus arm to play right field, though he’s not much of a runner and his defensive reads and routes will need plenty of work. The White Sox are the favorites to sign him for a bonus of around $500,000.

Kevin Richards, of, Dominican Republic: Richards could be a standout track-and-field athlete, but he’s still learning to translate everything into in-game skills. He has a great frame at 6-foot-1, 160 pounds and ran the fastest 60-yard dash time (6.52 seconds) at the MLB international showcase in February. He has the speed and strong arm to play center field, but his hitting is still crude. He does have good bat speed, but he will need a lot of work to iron out his swing and improve his pitch recognition. He’s an exciting athlete with a high-risk bat, one it looks like the Athletics will take a chance on for a little more than $500,000.

Yordy Barley, ss, Dominican Republic: Like Richards, Barley (6 feet, 160 pounds) is one of the better pure athletes in the 2016 class. They’re two of the fastest runners out there, with Barley turning in 60-yard dash times around 6.5 seconds as well. With his speed, he could end up in center field. Like Richards, Barley has raw tools, but the emphasis is on raw. He does have good bat speed and the righthanded swing can look nice in batting practice, but he gets longer in games and needs to improve his pitch recognition. The Padres are the favorites to sign Barley, with a bonus that could end up around $1 million.

Jhon Sandoval, of, Venezuela: Sandoval is one of the better athletes in Venezuela, where he trains in the same program as Kevin Maitan. Sandoval has a projectable, athletic frame at 6-foot-2, 165 pounds with sprinter speed at 6.5 seconds in the 60-yard dash. He shows pull power in batting practice, but he’s another player whose raw tools and athleticism are more advanced than his baseball skills and righthanded hitting ability. He’s expected to be one of the top Tigers signings this year with a bonus in the $500,000 area.