More Top International Prospects To Know For July 2

Most of the international prospects for July 2 that we have covered so far have been connected to five teams.

With 10 teams limited to signings of no more than $300,0000 and the Astros, Braves, Cardinals, Nationals and Padres going over their bonus pools this year, the majority of the prospects who are going to sign for at least $1 million will end up signing with one of those pool-busting clubs.

That’s not true for every player, though. Here are five more prospects to know for July 2, most of whom are expected to sign for seven-figure bonuses.

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Luis Veloz, of, Dominican Republic

Veloz, 16, has a physical, athletic frame at 6-foot-2, 170 pounds with quick bat speed. He gets started at the plate with a big leg kick and a long righthanded swing that leads to swing-and-miss, though scouts highest on Veloz said they have seen him perform well in games with a chance for average or better raw power. Veloz might start out in center field, but most project him as a right fielder, with average speed and a plus arm. The Mariners are the favorites to sign Veloz, who trains with Jaime Ozuna and has played in both the Dominican Prospect League and International Prospect League.

“I liked him,” said one scout. “It’s a big swing, so I think strikeouts are coming, but I think he’s going to create power and play as a corner outfielder with a big arm.”

Yeikel Blandin, of, Venezuela

Three years ago, Johan Ocanto trained Carlos Herrera, a speedy shortstop who signed with the Rockies for $1.2 million. Now the Rockies are expected to sign Blandin, who also trains with Ocanto, for a bonus of around $1 million. Blandin, 16, played center field for Venezuela at the COPABE 15U Pan American Championship last year in Mexico and performed well there. Blandin was one of the few bright spots for the Venezuelan team in a blowout 19-2 loss to Team USA, going 2-for-2 with a walk as Venezuela’s leadoff hitter.

The two main tools for Blandin are his bat and speed. At 5-foot-11, 160 pounds, Blandin is a skinny lefthanded hitter with good bat control to put the ball in play at a high rate. He has a patient approach, working the count and hitting line drives to all fields with gap power. He doesn’t have the same bat speed as some of the other top prospects in the class, and his frail build concerns some scouts, but his overall feel for hitting and plus speed made him stand out among Venezuelan prospects. Blandin’s pure speed should fit in center field, though several scouts said his defensive reads and routes will need work.

“He’s a really skinny guy, but the bat played in the game with sneaky pop off the wall, and I got good run times on him,” said a second scout. “He’s definitely athletic with a leadoff profile.”

Yerdel Vargas, ss, Dominican Republic

In recent years, the Athletics have shied away from making any significant investments in international players. That’s going to change this year. While the A’s weren’t one of the teams initially making an aggressive push on the top 2016 talent, they are still likely to come away with a handful of promising prospects from this year’s group, including the 16-year-old Vargas, likely for around $1.5 million.

At 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, Vargas is a strong, high-energy player who drew a wide range of opinions among scouts. Some liked his hands, feet and actions at shortstop, where he has an accurate arm, while others thought he would end up at third or second base. At the plate, Vargas has been inconsistent, with some scouts praising his bat speed, the way the ball came off his bat during BP and the progress he made as a hitter, while others thought he would have to cut down on his swing for better game performance. Vargas, whose trainer is known as “Jayson,” played in the DPL.

Marcos Brito, ss, Dominican Republic

The A’s are also expected to sign Brito to a seven-figure bonus, likely for a little more than $1 million. Brito is the younger brother of Rockies second baseman Antony Brito, a 21-year-old who hit .316/.352/.381 in 42 games last year in the Rookie-level Pioneer League.

There are shortstops with louder tools and more physicality than Brito, who is 5-foot-10, 150 pounds, but Brito is a switch-hitter who has impressed scouts with his game skills in the DPL and training with Decarte Corporan (the same trainer who had Carlos Hiciano sign with Oakland for $750,000 in 2013). Brito is a high-contact hitter with a short, compact swing from both sides of the plate and good strike-zone discipline for a 16-year-old. There’s minimal power in his bat and there likely won’t ever be much extra-base sock, with some scouts giving him a chance to grow into 6-10 home runs in his prime.

Brito is athletic but not fast, with fringy speed and an average arm. His defensive actions are smooth and his overall baseball instincts are advanced, so some scouts project him as a shortstop especially if strength can help his tools tick up, while others think he might flip over to second base. He has some similarities to Michael De Leon, a switch-hitting shortstop the Rangers signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2013 and entered the season as their No. 14 prospect.

“I loved him,” said a third scout. “I thought overall, he was one of the most prepared offensive and defensive shortstops in the market. I don’t think he’s ever going to hit for power, but who cares? He’s going to play shortstop and hit at the top of the lineup. Everything is short, he uses the opposite field, makes contact and has great feel for hitting.”

Yefri del Rosario, rhp, Dominican Republic

Del Rosario’s situation will be one of the interesting ones to monitor on July 2. Del Rosario is a 16-year-old who trains with Carlos Guzman and has some of the best present stuff in the class. At the MLB international showcase in the Dominican Republic in February, Del Rosario struck out five of the 14 hitters he faced with four swinging strikeouts.

Del Rosario is only 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, but he’s athletic with quick arm speed to generate a fastball that ranges from 90-94 mph. At his best, he flashes a plus breaking ball with sharp action and shows feel for a changeup at times. Some think del Rosario could be a starter, though many scouts see reliever risk between his stature, the effort in his mechanics and stabbing arm action, which affects his command. Still, even those who thought he might end up in the bullpen considered him one of the top arms in the class.

Up until recently, the Indians looked like they were the favorites to sign Del Rosario, likely for a bonus in the $600,000-$700,000 range. The latest word out of the Dominican Republic is that the Braves are now the favorites to sign del Rosario for a higher price. While there won’t be too much drama for the top international prospects when it comes time to sign on July 2, Del Rosario’s situation is more fluid than most.