The Pittsburgh Pirates announced the signings of 19 international prospects from six countries, including a pair of 16-year-old Dominicans ranked as two of MLB Pipeline’s top 12 prospects and a 20-year-old right-handed pitcher from Taiwan.
Tony Blanco Jr., a 6-foot-6, 230-pound outfielder ranked No. 11 by MLB Pipeline, is the headliner of the class. He reportedly signed for $900,000, per Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. Blanco’s father, Tony Sr., played 56 games for the Washington Nationals in 2005.
“Tony is a big and strong corner outfielder with the ability to drive the baseball with power from line to line,” Pirates director of international scouting Junior Vizcaino said of Blanco in a statement. “We see Tony as a middle-of-the-lineup type hitter who will drive the baseball with power. Defensively, Tony has a true right fielder’s arm and is athletic enough to close the outfield gaps defensively.”
The Pirates signed shortstop Yordany De Los Santos, rated No. 12 by MLB Pipeline, for $1.2 million. The 6-1, 170-pound infielder also hits for power and has an above-average arm.
“Yordany is an athletic, physical shortstop with the tools to be a plus defender and hit in the middle of the lineup,” Vizcaino said. “He comes from a baseball family. His two younger brothers are following in his footsteps and his dad is a softball player. He has the makeup to be a leader on the field and in the clubhouse.”
The Pirates have a bonus pool of $6,262,600 to sign international prospects this year.
The 19 international prospects signed by the Pirates. pic.twitter.com/IGYVN2Op49
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) January 18, 2022
Vizcaino also raved about 17-year-old right-hander Pitterson Rosa, who was born in Puerto Rico but resides in the Dominican Republic for his “very clean delivery and feel for pitching” whose fastball has touched 94 mph and has the “ability to command his secondary pitches.” Vizcaino said Rosa projects as a major league starting pitcher.
Righty Hung-Leng Chang is the second international prospect signed from Taiwan in three years, following Po-Yu Chen. Pirates assistant player personnel director Max Kwan credited Pacific Rim scout Fu-Chun Chiang for identifying, evaluating and building a relationship with Chang, who “possesses a lot of the characteristics we value, including his body movement, ability to spin the baseball and his competitiveness.”
Meet our newest Young Bucs!
— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) January 18, 2022
We have signed 19 players for the current 2021-22 international signing period. pic.twitter.com/GnqvTPDiga
The Pirates’ international signing class includes 10 players from the Dominican Republic, four from Venezuela, two from Mexico and one each from Colombia, Panama and Taiwan. The class features shortstops Roinny Aguiar (Venezuela), De Los Santos, Daje Morales and Cristopher Orelin and Isaac Paulino (Dominican Republic); left-handed pitchers Hader Blanco (Colombia), Angel Camacho (Mexico) and Jarlen De la Paz (Dominican Republic); right-handers Chang, Dermis Ordonez (Venezuela) and Rosa, Alberto Saba and Alexis Torres (Dominican Republic); outfielders Blanco Jr. and Eduardo Oviedo (Dominican Republic) and Angel Rodriguez (Panama); catchers Axiel Plaz and Richard Ramirez (Venezuela); and first baseman Carlos Tirado (Mexico).
