Every year MLB teams sign youngsters out of Latin America looking for the next Juan Soto or Ronald Acuna. Hitting on these international prospects is an important part of building a strong farm system. The signing deadline for these prospects is on January 15th. Here is what we know about the Nats international free agent class so far.
Despite the fact that these kids are only 16 when they sign, teams have verbal agreements with these players years in advance. You can argue about the morality of that process,
but it is what all the teams do. With that in mind, we have a pretty good idea of who the Nats are going to sign on January 15th.
According to reports, the Nats are signing at least 10 players, maybe more. Last season they signed 14 players. So far, last year’s international class is performing better than the prior ones. After hitting on Victor Robles, Luis Garcia Jr., and of course Juan Soto in the span of a few years, the Nats Latin American pipeline has dried up.
The Nats have seen plenty of seven figure signings flame out in recent years. Names like Armando Cruz, Victor Hurtato and Cristhian Vaquero have failed to live up to expectations so far. However, there were some positive signs last year. Marconi German only signed for $400,000, but was one of the most productive players in the DSL. Big money signing Brayan Cortesia also had a solid season in the Dominican.
That brings us to 2026, where the Nationals appear to have two big ticket prospects lined up to sign. Samil Serrano and Isaias Suarez are the Nats biggest signings. Both are Dominican outfielders with projectable skillsets. MLB Pipeline ranks Serrano as the 26th best player in the class and Suarez as the 39th best player.
Baseball America is a bit higher on both of them. In an update that just came out today, Serrano ranked as the 17th best player in the class, while Suarez was ranked 19th. It seems like both are trending upwards which is exciting to see. Hopefully both guys can continue to make big improvements.
Serrano is held in slightly higher regard by both BA and Pipeline. The reason for that is his hitting ability. Scouts see Serrano as a pretty natural hitter with a smooth swing. There is not much power yet, but at 6’3 175 pounds, there is plenty of room for him to add strength. While he is not a burner, scouts like his glove in the outfield. He has great instincts and has a chance to stick in center field.
Given his lack of speed, there is a chance he moves to a corner. If that happens, his power will have to improve, but he is only 17. There is so much that can happen in these kids’ development. This time last year, we were not talking much about Marconi German, and now he is a major breakout candidate.
Suarez’s game is driven by his natural athleticism. He is a great runner and athlete, which allows him to thrive out in center field. At 6’2 165 pounds, he is also highly projectable. Suarez has the chance to be a plus defender in center field according to BA. The offense appears to be more of a work in progress, but he does have solid tools.
BA notes that he is an aggressive hitter, who scouts are split on offensively. He shows good bat speed and has power upside, but there is risk as well. Suarez seems to be a real boom or bust prospect, even for an IFA. If he hits, he could be a toolsy big league center fielder. However, there is a decent chance he flames out pretty quickly.
In the IFA market, there are always going to be more misses than hits. It is so hard to tell what a player will be at 16 or 17 years old. These kids are still growing both physically and mentally. However, it is still interesting to keep up with this process.
It is not particularly likely, but there is a minuscule chance that Serrano and Suarez are the next Juan Soto and Victor Robles. That is why it is so exciting to follow this stuff. You see plenty of flameouts, but you also might find the next big thing. The Nats will sign Serrano, Suarez and plenty of other IFA prospects on January 15th.
