MLB.com
Report: Twins land pair of top-50 international prospects
The Minnesota Twins signed two, top 50 international prospects Monday, according to a report from MLB.com.
Minnesota inked 17-year-old Daiber De Los Santos to add to their already deep shortstop pool, as well as 17-year-old outfielder Eduardo Beltre.
MLB.com lists De Los Santos as the No. 8 overall international prospect while Beltre comes in at No. 39.
Here is MLB's scouting profile on the highly-rated shortstop...
"De Los Santos might have the best raw tools in the class. One thing is certain -- the team that signs him and places him in its academy is going to have fun watching him develop. The athletic De Los Santos has fast hands and the potential to have plus arm strength and plus raw power. Overall, he’s emerging as a premium defender at a premium position.
"At the plate, he shows good bat speed and the ability to make hard contact. There’s a slight upstroke to his swing, and he uses it to spray the ball into the gaps. More raw power is expected as he matures and his body develops. Like most prospects his age, the teen is still working on polishing his overall game on both sides of the ball and transferring his tool potential to games."
De Los Santos will have stiff competition in the Twins' farm system. Shortstops account for five of the team's top-30 prospects, according to MLB.com's latest rankings.
As for Beltre, here's the scouting profile on the outfielder...
"Beltre is a powerful athlete with an aggressive approach at the plate and could one day sport plus tools across the board. He has the ability to become a plus runner with plus arm strength in the future, which both work to his advantage in the outfield. He’s known as a reliable center fielder who takes good routes and has good instincts with solid throwing mechanics. There’s a chance he could move to right in the future if he outgrows center.
"Offensively, there is some swing-and-miss, but that’s normal for an international prospect his age. In the meantime, his ability to routinely make contact and drive the ball hard to all fields should set him up for plenty of future success. Beltre also has the speed to be a factor on the basepaths, making him an even more attractive prospect."
Like De Los Santos, the competition for outfield spots is stacked as well, as nine outfielders are among the team's top-30 prospects, including potential the best prospect in baseball, Walker Jenkins.
