Philadelphia Phillies 2020-21 International Signing Preview

This is part of Ben Badler’s 2020-21 international signing day preview. You can also find his international big board of 2020 prospects here.

The Phillies were the last team to sign a high-profile international prospect prior to the pandemic, adding Venezuelan outfielder Yhoswar Garcia in March 2020 just before Major League Baseball put a temporary signing ban in place.

Once the next signing period opens on Jan. 15, 2021, the top two prospects the Phillies are expected to sign are Dominican outfielder Yemal Flores and Venezuelan catcher Ricardo Perez.

Flores has a strength-based profile, with a physical build for his age that yields two loud tools in his raw power and arm strength, with a power-over-hit profile. Flores spent some time in the infield early in the process, but he has moved to the outfield, with the tools to project in right field.

Perez comes from the same program where the Phillies signed righthander Francisco Morales, one of the organization’s top prospects. He’s a lefthanded-hitting catcher who has grown taller over the scouting process, showing a promising bat for his position with an uptick in his power over the past year.

Venezuelan shortstops Marco Soto and Leonardo Rondon are two mid-level shortstops the Phillies are expected to sign, with Dominican shortstop Yemil Rosario another player expected to join the Phillies’ class. Dominican outfielder Raylin Heredia also looks to be in line for a six-figure bonus from the Phillies.