2025 International Class Brings Even More Talent to Baltimore Orioles

One of the ways the Baltimore Orioles have been able to jumpstart themselves out of the teardown rebuild they underwent much quicker than many around the league thought was through development.

Not only have they taken full advantage of the high draft picks they have gotten by selecting the right players, but they have also been savvy when it comes to buying low on those who other teams gave up on and getting them into their system and coaching them into success.

But the next part of the story is their international footprint.

The Orioles placed a major focus on the development of players they sign from the Caribbean, creating an academy in the Dominican Republic that is the home for their signees from this region along with Central and South America.

Samuel Basallo is their most notable prospect who is flourishing from this vision, but Baltimore's massive 2025 international free agency class added even more talent who could become top prospects for them one day.

We have opened the 2024-25 International Signing Period with 22 contract agreements. pic.twitter.com/5TulV27EWx
— Orioles Player Development (@OsPlayerDev) January 15, 2025

The gem of this cycle for the Orioles is shortstop Jose Pena.

Like Basallo, he has signed young and will begin his professional journey with the organization at the age of 16.

Baseball America ranks him as the 44th-best player in this class while MLB Pipeline has him 47th.

"Peña has started to layer on strength to a still-wiry frame (6-foot-1, 160 pounds), maintaining a line-drive approach but with more carry off his bat now to occasionally leave the yard to his pull side. He has the traits to stick at shortstop as a plus-plus runner with a solid-average arm, good hands and footwork," Ben Badler of Baseball America writes as part of his scouting report.

But, he isn't the only one who Baltimore fans should be excited about.

Two others, outfielder Johancel Gomez and shortstop Meykel Baro, both cracked the top 100, and there is plenty there with them as well.

Badler says Gomez is a power-hitting lefty and Baro has hitting ability combined with power while also being a plus runner.

Because the haul was so massive, there are a ton of other players who could actually become the gems of this group, something the Orioles hope happens as they look to further bolster the strength of their farm system.