Born on November 3, 2006, in Moca, a city in northern Dominican Republic, Edward Lantigua was considered one of the better players available in the 2024-2025 international rookie player class. The Mets formally signed the outfielder on January 15, 2024, the first day of the signing period, giving him a $950,000 signing bonus, the second-highest that they gave any one player that year.
Overview
Name: Edward Lantigua Position: OF Born: 11/13/2006 (Age-19 season in 2026) Height: 6’4” Weight: 195 lbs. Bats/Throws:
R/R Acquired: IFA, January 15, 2024 (Dominican Republic) 2025 Stats: 49 G, 153 AB, .288/.433/.399, 44 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 33 BB, 29 K, 13/23 SB, .366 BABIP (Rookie-FCL)
Lantigua played for both DSL squadrons in 2024, hitting .290/.443/.462 in 28 games with the DSL Mets Blue and .220/.313/.288 in 17 games with the DSL Mets Orange, good for a cumulative .263/.397/.395 batting line in 45 games on the season with 9 doubles, 3 triples, 1 home run, 9 stolen bases, and 21 walks to 37 strikeouts. He was sent stateside for the 2025 season, appearing in 49 games for the FCL Mets. The 18-year-old outfielder did not miss a beat, hitting .288/.433/.399 with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 13 stolen bases in 23 attempts, and drew 33 walks to 29 strikeouts. Among players who played at least 40 games in the FCL, Lantigua’s OPS was eighth in the league.
Listed at 6’4”, 195 pounds, the skinny and leggy Lantigua has already added some height and mass since signing with the club and will undoubtedly put on some more as he ages. The right-hander stands open at the plate, holding his hands at the letters and angling his bat head at 1:00. He swings with a big leg kick and a smooth, balanced load and weight transfer. The swing is a bit long-levered but has shown no issues against his peers in live pitching exercises in both the Dominican Summer League and the Florida Complex League. It produces easy power, with multiple batted ball events resulting in 100+ MPH exit velocities in 2024 and 2025, and thanks to his good approach, exceptional eye, and strong bat to ball skills, Lantigua has the chance to develop into a multi-dimensional hitter with power to all fields. The biggest area of improvement that the 18-year-old needs to address is hitting the ball in the air more; his 16.4% line drive rate, 55.5% ground ball rate, and 28.2% fly ball rates in 2025 all were inferior as compared to his 18.8% line drive, 38.4% ground ball, and 42.9% fly ball rates he posted in 2024.
In the outfield, scouts and evaluators project Lantigua to have the ability to stay in center field thanks to his above-average speed. With his long legs and high waist, Lantigua has a body type that is unlikely to lose speed and athleticism as he adds muscle mass, but if he ever does and is unable to stay in center, his strong, above-average arm will allow him to play right field as well.
