The Pittsburgh Pirates landed two of the top international prospects in all of baseball this week.
On Thursday, the Pirates announced that they signed 25 players to begin the 2026 International Signing Period.
Included in the class were two athletes from the Dominican Republic who ranked in MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 Prospects list.
Pittsburgh acquired No. 7 prospect Jeancer Custodio and No. 7 Wilton Guerrero Jr. on the first day of international deals.
A 17-year-old outfielder, Custodio is a 5-foot-10 right-handed hitter who prospects with a 65 overall hit tool.
He is from Baní, the same city as Jose Ramirez and former MLB stars Miguel Tejada and Jose Bautista. Custodio has a 55-grade power tool and hit .333 with a .429 on-base percentage on the 18U World Cup qualifying team.
Guerrero Jr. has a familiar last name for baseball fans around the world. Wilton Guerrero Jr. is the nephew of Vladimir Guerrero Sr. and cousin of Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
His dad, Wilton Guerrero Sr., played eight years in Major League Baseball and retired to become a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program in Nizao, Dominican Republic, per MLB Pipeline.
Only 16 years old, Wilton Guerrero Jr. is a 5-foot-10 shortstop with a 50-grade hit tool and a 70-rated speed.
The deals signal two impactful additions for Vice President of International Scouting Max Kwan, who was hired prior to the 2025 season.
The Pirates signed 12 additional players from the Dominican Republic, seven from Venezuela, and one from Brazil, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Panama. Pittsburgh can still sign international players to deals, but the start of the International Signing Period is a key indicator of the top players who will sign with the 30 different organizations.
