2023 International Reviews: Colorado Rockies

There’s a lot to like coming through the international pipeline in the Rockies farm system. Their No. 1 prospect is Ezequial Tovar, a Venezuelan shortstop who made his major league debut last year as a 21-year-old and ranks as a top 20 prospect in baseball. Another Top 100 prospect, shortstop Adael Amador, has the upside to jump into that tier of players, coming off a big year in Low-A Fresno where he hit .292/.415/.445 with 87 walks and 67 strikeouts in 115 games. 

Third baseman Warming Bernabel and righthander Jordy Vargas give the Rockies two more international signings ranked among their top 10 prospects, with outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez and Juan Guerrero among the other Latin American signings who could take another step forward this year.

Top Of The Class

The big signing this year for the Rockies was 17-year-old Dominican outfielder Robert Calaz, who landed a $1.7 million bonus. Calaz has drawn comparisons to Mets outfielder Alexander Ramirez, another athletic, tooled-up outfielder and one of the top prospects in that organization. Calaz has a chance to be a power/speed threat, with plus-plus speed underway in the 60-yard dash and the strength in his frame (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) to drive the ball with impact to all fields. Calaz has explosive bat speed from the right side of the plate. Some scouts had concerns about longer levers leading to length in his swing, but others liked the way his bat came through the zone and allowed him to drive the ball with plus raw power, not just to his pull side but to all fields, and liked his bat-to-ball skills. Calaz has the speed and defensive actions to continue in center field, though depending on his physical development and how much of his speed he retains, he could end up in a corner, where he should have plenty of power to profile and a plus arm that would fit in right field. He has been in Arizona for spring training, though he’s expected to make his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League.

Names To Know

Alessander De La Cruz, OF, Dominican Republic: De La Cruz, who signed for $650,000, has an impressive tool set. At 17, he’s 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, with the strength and bat speed to drive the ball with impact in BP and a chance for plus raw power. He runs well underway with above-average speed and a plus arm, though he’s likely to slow down and will develop as a corner outfielder. De La Cruz is more raw tools than skills at this point, so he will need to refine his offensive approach, but the strength and bat speed are there to be a power-hitting outfielder if everything clicks. 

Jeremy Ciriaco, SS, Dominican Republic: Even early in the scouting process, Ciriaco stood out for instincts and high-level game acumen. Signed for $500,000, Ciriaco comes from a baseball family as the son of Juan Ciriaco, a longtime minor league shortstop and now a manager for the Giants in the Dominican Summer League. He turns 16 on Aug. 15, so he will play almost all of 2023 as a 16-year-old and one of the youngest players in the class. From a young age, Ciriaco stood out for his clean hands and fluid actions at shortstop, where he has a good internal clock and a plus arm. He’s also a plus runner and an advanced hitter for his age, with a low swing-and-miss rate from the right side of the plate. He’s a quick-twtich athlete with good bat speed, so as he’s started to layer strength on to his wiry frame, he’s started to drive the ball with more impact, though it’s still a hit-over-power profile with a line-drive, gap approach and a chance for 10-15 home runs. 

Yeiker Reyes, OF, Venezuela: At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Reyes has an athletic build as a center fielder with plus speed and good defensive instincts. He has a good chance to stick in center field and the offensive skill set that could fit toward the top of a lineup. Signed for $500,000, Reyes has a sound swing from the left side, good bat speed and gap power that should turn into more over-the-fence juice as he continues to get stronger. 

Alison Zacarias, RHP, Dominican Republic: Signed for $500,000, the 17-year-old Zacarias is 6-foot-3, 200 pounds with a sound delivery for his age, a fastball up to 92 mph and a curveball that he throws with good shape and rotation. He’s still learning to repeat his mechanics to throw consistent strikes, but there’s more strength projection remaining for his stuff to tick up another level. 

Diego Felix, INF, Dominican Republic: Felix, 16, is a wiry 6-foot-2 infielder the Rockies signed for $275,000. Felix is an aggressive player still learning to slow the game down, but he has impressive tools for his age, especially for a player with limited strength right now. He runs well to the point where some scouts think he could fit in center field and he has a plus arm, with good bat speed and doubles power from the right side. 

Yeremmy Cabeza, RHP, Venezuela: At 6 feet, 165 pounds, Cabeza doesn’t have the size of some of the other top pitchers who signed in 2023, but his mix of stuff and pitchability stands out among the best in Venezuela for this year. A $250,000 signing, Cabeza is 17 with a fastball that has trended up to touch 94 mph with likely more coming given his excellent arm speed. Cabeza has a starter look with his ability to repeat his arm slot, throw strikes and miss bats with his secondaries, showing feel for a curveball and changeup.

Sleeper Watch

Corner outfielder Wuilker Cumare doesn’t have the big tools that will immediately jump out in a workout, but he was one of the more polished hitters this year in Venezuela. Cumare, 16, is 6 feet, 180 pounds with a high-contact bat from the left side, spreading the ball around the field with line drives and doubles power that could tick up as he gets stronger.