Twins Announce 2025 International Signings

The Twins bring 23 new prospects into the pipeline, including 3 ranked in the Top 50.

With yesterday marking the start of the new International Signing Period, the Minnesota Twins announced the signings of 23 new prospects into the system, including 3 in MLB Pipeline’s top 50 international prospect list.

Top Twins Signings

As a reminder, the vast majority of these players are 16 and 17 year olds who are at least five years away from reaching the upper minors. Current Twins top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez was part of the 2019 international signing class and still may not debut until 2026. It’s nearly impossible to determine how a 16 year old will develop physically and mentally over the next half decade.

Santiago Leon, SS, Venezuela (No. 24)

Scouting report courtesy of MLB Pipeline:

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Six players born in Carabobo, Venezuela, have played in the Major Leagues, none with more pomp and ceremony than Pablo Sandoval, a former World Series champion who has more than 1,200 hits and 150 homers to his résumé. León aspires to be the next in that lineage — a polished all-around performer whose physicality stands to work in his favor as he enters pro ball. He trains with La Academia Prospectos CF in Carabobo.

It’s not often that young prospects show an aptitude for both putting the bat on the ball and having a selective approach at the plate, but León finds himself ahead of the curve in that regard. He slashed .636/.758/1.136 with six RBIs and six of his 14 hits going for extra bases during the 2024 Carabobo Prospect League, where he was the far-and-away standout performer. Evaluators believe there is even more power to come as he continues to get more comfortable with driving the ball and refining his strike zone.

While León is just an average runner, he is rock steady up the middle defensively. His combination of clean actions and reliable hands makes him a lock to stick on the infield moving forward, though he could move off short to the hot corner where his above-average throwing arm could play up even more. It’s an exciting package across the board for León, who stands to impact the game in all facets.

Haritzon Castillo, SS, Venezuela (No. 43)

Scouting report courtesy of MLB Pipeline:

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Barquisimeto, the musical capital of Venezuela, is the birthplace of current big leaguers Carlos Carrasco, Andrés Giménez and Gabriel Moreno. It was also home to Cesar and Maicer Izturis, switch-hitting middle-infielders, a group to which Castillo belongs. He has stayed local to train with Jose Luis Montero at Future Stars Academy in Barquisimeto, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.

A 6-foot switch-hitter, Castillo has shown signs of having an advanced approach from both sides of the dish as an amateur. Featuring a front leg kick that he uses as a timing mechanism to generate power that has ample room for projection, he has the “whippy” type of bat speed that evaluators and scouts can dream on.

Castillo’s sturdy build bodes well for him as a potential impact player on both sides of the ball and the basepaths. While he’s just an average runner presently, his in-game instincts have drawn positive reviews. His throwing arm is also just around solid, but he more than makes up for it with his quick hands and aptitude for playing on the infield. The bat will be what moves him up an organizational ladder as a high-floor performer.

Teilon Serrano, OF, Domincan Republic (No. 50)

Serrano was rumored to be signing with the Dodgers before he flipped to the Twins on the eve of the new signing period opening. Teams like the Dodgers, Padres, and Blue Jays have been delaying their other international signing as they wait for prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki to decide on his MLB organization, who needs to be paid from the same international bonus pool.

Scouting report courtesy of MLB Pipeline:

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 40 | Run: 65 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, has long been a baseball hot bed, having produced big league All-Stars Juan Soto, David Ortiz and others. The city played host to MLB exhibition games in March between the Red Sox and Rays, further strengthening the ties between one of the Caribbean’s oldest cities and the Majors. Potentially next in the lineage of impact players is Serrano, a 16-year-old, who has already spent a few seasons on the prospect showcase scene.

At the plate, Serrano shows off plus bat speed among his peers, giving confidence that despite his current smaller frame, there will be more pop in his bat as he matures. He employs a dip in his left-handed swing and front leg kick in an attempt to generate power from his 185-pound frame. His sweet swing is his best known commodity, which when coupled with pro instruction, gives him the floor of being at least an average bat.

Serrano’s carrying tool is his well-above-average speed, which should suit him well as he makes the transition to center field in pro ball after getting looks on the infield as an amateur. A dynamic, high-twitch athlete, Serrano has had 60-yard dash times clocked as quick as 6.4 seconds. Those wheels have clubs believing he is destined for gap-to-gap outfield coverage, which enhances his overall upside as his pro career begins.

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How Does the International Signing System Work?

The Twins were tied with six other teams for the largest international bonus pool space at $7,555,500. The size of the pool is determined by a number of factors like market size, revenue, and signing/losing players who received qualifying offers. Teams are also able to trade international signing pool dollars in $250K increments, which teams can acquire up to 60% above their original assigned bonus pool. Like in the domestic draft in July, players who sign for $10K or less do not count against the pool.

The international signing period runs from January 15 – December 15 of the given year. Players must live outside of the United States or its territories and be 16 years old before they sign and turn 17 before September first the following year. For our purposes, that means the young players the Twins can sign are international amateurs born between September 1, 2007 and August 31, 2008.

Players who are older than 25 do not have to adhere to the bonus pool system and can sign a normal free agent contract. This often comes into play with players coming to MLB from other professional leagues like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga last offseason. This is why many MLB organizations were surprised when Roki Sasaki decided to move to MLB this offseason. Had he waited two more seasons, Sasaki would have been eligible for a Yamamoto-esque $300 million payday. Instead, like every other MLB player, he will have to accrue six seasons of service time before he hits the open market.