Orioles add five top-rated prospects in international class

The Orioles landed five of the top-ranked prospects in the 2026 international class, including shortstop Jose Luis Acevedo.

May 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Baltimore Orioles hat and glove in the dugout during a game against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles were tied for the highest international bonus pool allotment in baseball ($8,034,900) this year, and they certainly put that money to good use.

On Thursday, the Orioles officially reached agreements with 10 players in the 2026 international free agent class. Five of those prospects are ranked inside MLB Pipeline’s top 50, and according to Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun, a franchise-record four players received seven-figure bonuses.

#orioles international signings pic.twitter.com/mEngPfYgsB

— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) January 15, 2026

Headlining Baltimore’s international prospect haul is 17-year-old shortstop Jose Luis Acevedo, who signed for a club-record $2.3 million. Baseball America ranked the right-handed hitter No. 11 on its bonus board, while MLB Pipeline ranked him No. 14 in the class.

“He’s a player who we think has a chance at five tools,” Orioles vice president of international scouting and operations Koby Perez said of Acevedo. “Really good defensively. Strong arm, really good game aptitude. We really think we can hit. We think his bat is going to play, and we feel like he’s the type of player who could be in the middle of the order hopefully in the future.”

From the Orioles, their top international signee SS Jose Luis Acevedo ranked No. 11 on BA bonus board and No. 14 via MLBPipeline. pic.twitter.com/Ts0cOXmjJN

— Steve Melewski (@Steveonbaseball) January 15, 2026

The Orioles also signed outfielder Ariel Roque for $1.7 million, outfielder Pedro Gomez for $1.25 million and outfielder/first baseman Gabriel Rosario for $1.05 million. Left-hander Andri Hidalgo, who ranked No. 25 in MLB Pipeline’s top 50, signed for $625,000. Each of the five top-ranked prospects in Baltimore’s 2026 international signing class is from the Dominican Republic.

Roque, 17, was ranked No. 18 by MLB Pipeline and No. 22 by Baseball America. If not for Acevedo, the lefty-hitting outfielder would be Baltimore’s all-time highest-ranked signee.

Perez described Roque as a five-tool center fielder on Thursday, adding that the Orioles are betting on his athleticism. This aligns with MLB Pipeline’s scouting report, which called him a “surefire bet” to stick at his natural position in pro ball due to his ability to cover lots of ground and impact the game with his glove. He is also regarded as a polished hitter.

Gomez, 17, is viewed as a bat-first prospect who profiles as a corner outfielder due to his lack of burst. The right-handed slugger ranks No. 35 in MLB Pipeline’s top 50 and is known for routinely hammering the ball to his pull side, while also showing the ability to spray hits from gap to gap.

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Rosario, 17, is another bat-first prospect who displays immense power, batting from the left side. MLB Pipeline ranks the 6-foot-3 slugger No. 41 in this year’s class, adding in its scouting report that he could be a “high-OBP, high slugging percentage-type” at the big league level one day.

Perez mentioned Thursday that Rosario first got on the Orioles’ radar as a big left-handed hitting catcher, which attracted them due to their success with Samuel Basallo. But since Rosario does not have the arm strength that Basallo has, Baltimore decided that his future was better suited at a different position. He will enter pro ball as an outfielder and first baseman.

Hidalgo, 16, is a 6-foot-4 pitcher who operates in the low 90s but can already get up to 95 mph on his four-seam fastball. Perez said the Orioles are “super excited” to get him, adding that he believes the left-hander can wind up on top prospect boards in the near future. Baseball America had Hidalgo ranked 55 spots lower than where MLB Pipeline placed him on their respective list.

Prior to signing Basallo for $1.3 million in 2021, the Orioles had never given a seven-figure signing bonus to an international free agent. They have now done so in six straight years, hoping their increased investments in the international market produce similar homegrown success stories.

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