2021-22 International Reviews: Oakland Athletics

Top Of The Class

Carlos Pacheco was the headliner of Oakland’s international signings. The Venezuelan center fielder isn’t that big, but he’s an explosive, quick-twitch athlete with advanced game skills for his age. He’s a selective hitter who has a short, quick swing with good bat speed. That translates to a high contact rate to fire line drives all around the field with gap power now and potential to grow into 20-plus home runs, though his offensive game will likely be centered more around his on-base skills. Pacheco is also at least a plus runner who projects to stick in center field, where he moves around well and has a solid-average arm. Pacheco doesn’t have the physicality of Pedro Pineda, Oakland’s big center field signing from Latin America the year before, but he offers an exciting foundation for a premium position player with a chance to hit toward the top of a lineup.

Names To Know

Cesar Gonzalez, C, Venezuela: Gonzalez stands out for his offensive ability. He has a quick, flat swing and stays inside the ball well with a mature approach for his age to use the whole field. It’s a good mix of hitting ability and power for a catcher his age, with a chance for average or better power. Gonzalez is an offensive-oriented catcher who will have to develop his receiving skills to stick behind the plate, where he has a fringe-average arm.

Kevin Dume, 3B/OF, Dominican Republic: Dume has a massive 6-foot-5 frame with the power to match. He has at least plus raw power from the left side, with a chance for it to be plus-plus. Scouts highest on Dume have liked the way he gets to his power against live pitching, too, using his hands well at the plate with a solid eye for the zone. Dume will have to mash, as his defensive skills at third base and left field are still rudimentary, with first base a possibility given his size and mobility.

Jefferson Jean, RHP, Dominican Republic: Jean’s stuff started to pop later on in the scouting process. He’s 6-foot-3 with more physical projection remaining and already showed premium velocity at 16 by touching 96 mph. He has a long arm stroke and will need to tighten both his control and offspeed stuff, with a hard curveball that’s ahead of his firm changeup.

Sleeper Watch

Venezuelan shortstop Bryan Andrade has shown promising signs at the plate, where he has a good swing and the ball jumps off his bat well with a chance to develop average power. In the period leading up to his signing, he grew significantly, up to nearly 6-foot-3 with more strength, so while he is a good athlete, he might end up sliding over to third base.