Major League Baseball’s international signing period opens today for the 2026 class, which means prospects can officially sign their contracts.
For Baseball America subscribers, we have full breakdowns of the signing classes for all 30 teams, including scouting reports on the top players for each organization, other big names to know and lower-profile players to watch who could be sleepers.
The Angels last year signed Gabriel Davalillo, the top catcher in the 2025 international class who cemented himself as the top catching prospect in the Dominican Summer League by batting .302/.408/.518 in 169 plate appearances with an exciting combination of contact and power. This year, the Angels have multiple seven-figure signings, with the rest of their pool space spread around to position players who are mostly athletic, up-the-middle players and intriguing arms to watch.
Once expected to sign with the Yankees, Dominican shortstop Yeison Horton is now the top bonus signing this year for the Angels at $2 million. Horton stood out at an early age for his lefthanded hitting ability, speed, defense and arm strength. At 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, he hasn’t grown much in stature since then, so he’s smaller relative to some of the other prominent prospects for 2026, but his combination of athleticism and offensive upside stands out. Scouts highest on Horton liked both his contact skills and ability to produce hard contact for his size against live pitching. It’s a thin build with more strength projection remaining, so while he doesn’t project as a huge power threat, there should be more extra-base impact coming once he fills out. He’s an above-average runner with an average arm who has the hands and footwork to stay in the middle infield, whether it ends up being at shortstop or second base long term.
The Angels are signing Carlos Castillo, a lefthanded outfielder from the Dominican Republic, for $1 million. Castillo’s feel for the game is evident on both sides of the ball. It’s especially evident at the plate, where he has a sound, fluid swing from the left side. At 6-foot-1, 160 pounds, he’s a high-contact hitter who has a mature offensive approach and regularly registers quality at-bats with a knack for getting on base. It’s a hit-over-power offensive profile but with the bat speed and physical projection for more of his doubles to start going over the fence as he gets stronger in the next few years. Castillo is an above-average runner who moves around well in center field with good defensive instincts.
Dominican outfielder Anderson Rodriguez ($625,000) is the son of Henry Rodriguez, an outfielder who played in 11 major league seasons, mostly with the Expos, Dodgers and Cubs. Anderson Rodriguez is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, a strong build for his age with a lefthanded swing that has leverage, loft and is geared to pull balls in the air. His strength and power stand out most, but he has shown feel for hitting and all-around aptitude for the game that’s no surprise given his upbringing. He’s a corner outfielder whose value will come from what he does in the batter’s box.
Righthander Kendri Faña, signing for $530,000, has a lot of ingredients that teams look for in a young starting pitcher. He’s 6-foot-2, 190 pounds with a smooth, athletic delivery that he repeats well to throw strikes. His fastball is up to 92 mph with the look of a pitcher who should be into the mid 90s in the near future. Faña also throws one of the better changeups among amateur pitchers in the Dominican Republic. It’s advanced touch and feel for his changeup, his best secondary pitch ahead of his slider.
Venezuelan catcher Jonathan Aro ($450,000) fits a common prototype of mid-range catching prospects coming out of Venezuela. He’s 5-foot-11, 200 pounds with good catch-and-throw skills for his age. Aro projects to stick behind the plate with an arm that flashes above-average and could still tick up as he gets stronger. He’s a righthanded hitter with good bat-to-ball skills and gap power.
Wilker Rosales is an athletic, switch-hitting shortstop from Venezuela. He’s 5-foot-10, 160 pounds with good bat control in a contact-oriented approach to get on base with doubles power. He’s an above-average runner who projects to stick in the middle infield, whether it’s at shortstop or second base.
Dominican shortstop Juan Cespedes is one of the fastest players in the 2026 international class. At 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, he’s a quick-twitch, explosive player and a plus-plus runner pushing toward top-of-the-scale speed. He’s a lefthanded hitter with good contact skills in a line-drive approach. He could stick somewhere in the middle infield, though his elite speed would also translate well in center field.
Hollis Watson is a 20-year-old from Colombia who had been training as a position player, but he gained more attention once he moved to the mound and came over to train in the Dominican Republic. He’s a lanky 6-foot-4, 180 pounds with a fastball up to 96 mph and the space on his frame to be throwing harder once he adds more weight.