The International Signing period has begun, and to open the period, the Seattle Mariners have signed eight prospects out of the Dominican Republic. Over the years, the Mariners have had some success through the signing period. With the likes of Julio Rodriguez, Lazaro Montes, and Felnin Celesten. Let’s dive into each member of the 2023 class:
SS – Dawel Joseph
A consensus top 10 player in the 2023 international class per MLB Pipeline, Fangraphs and Baseball America. Joseph is a 6-foot-2, right-handed hitting shortstop who is regarded as a plus athlete with a big-league skillset. With JP Crawford locking up the position, the Mariners won’t need help here for a while. In fact, there’s a chance that top prospects Cole Young (ETA 2026), Colt Emerson (ETA 2027), Michael Arroyo (ETA 2027), and the rest of the influx of infield prospects could get moved to a different position.
C – Manuel Baez
Another position that the Mariners may have locked for quite some time is the catcher position. With Cal Raleigh and Harry Ford leading the way, they seem to be in good hands. Baez is a right-handed hitting catcher with excellent instincts and solid defensive tools.
INF/OF – Deury Castillo
From the looks of it, Castillo is a two-way player who has excellent run speed, a compact swing, and defensive versatility. He can play anywhere on the diamond, whether Infield or Outfield. With the Mariners having a heavy amount of infielders in the farm system, Castillo likely sees more time in the outfield.
RHP – Anderson Jiminez
Per the Mariners’ press release, Jiminez is a 5-foot-11, right-handed pitcher with plus athleticism, above-average arm speed, a deceptive release point, and a hard-spinning breaking ball.
SS – Zeus Nuñez
Nuñez is another one that could move to either second or third. He’s only 17, so the Mariners don’t need to worry about him making the big league roster right now. He has raw power and soft defensive hands, allowing him to move around the infield.
LHP – Eliezer Orbe
Orbe projects to be a relief pitcher with an arsenal and swing-and-miss curveball.
RHP – David Peña
Per the Mariners’ statement, Peña is a 6-foot, right-handed pitcher with a smooth and balanced delivery, along with solid action on all three pitches. He could develop into either a starter or a reliever.
SS – Leandro Romero
Romero is another top-50 shortstop out of the DR. According to the Mariners; he is a high-energy guy who has good bat speed as well as good strength and athleticism. With Romero, there’s a possibility of some big-time swing-and-miss and the potential of a big power bat.
