Pirates sign 19 international perspectives, including Taiwanese right-hand man

Pittsburgh Pirates announced the signings of 19 international players from six countries, including a 16-year-old Dominican pair ranked as two of MLB Pipeline’s 12 best prospects and a 20-year-old right-hand pitcher from Taiwan.

Tony Blanco Jr., a 6-foot, 230-pound outside player, ranked 11th by the MLB Pipeline, is the class leader. He reportedly signed for $ 900,000, for Jesse Sanchez from MLB.com. Blanco’s father, Tony Sr., played 56 games for the Washington Nationals in 2005.

“Tony is a great and strong player from the corner with the ability to drive the baseball ball with power from row to row,” Pirates director of international scouting Junior Vizcaino told Blanco in a statement. “We see Tony as a midfielder who will lead the baseball with power. “On defense, Toni has a real right winger and is athletic enough to close the gaps off the defense.”

Pirates signed with Yordany De Los Santos, valued at number 12 by MLB Pipeline, for $ 1.2 million. The 6-1, 170 pound player also hits for power and has an arm above average.

“Yordany is a counter, physical, with the tools to be a plus defender and to hit in the middle of the lineup,” said Vizcaino. “He comes from a baseball family. His two younger brothers are following in his footsteps and his father is a softball player. He has the composition to be a leader on the field and at the club. “

The Pirates have a bonus group of $ 6,262,600 to sign international prospects this year.

19 international perspectives signed by Pirates. pic.twitter.com/IGYVN2Op49

– Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) January 18, 2022

Vizcaino also hailed 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 his sense of pitching,” whose quick ball has touched 94 mph and has “the ability to command its secondary fields.” Vizcaino said Rosa projects as a top league starter.

Righty Hung-Leng Chang is the second international perspective signed by Taiwan in three years, after Po-Yu Chen. Assistant Director of Pirate Player Personnel Max Kwan praised Pacific Fu-Chun Chiang scout for identifying, evaluating, and building a relationship with Chang, who “possesses many of the characteristics we value, including body movement, ability to rotate the baseball and its competitive ability. ”

Meet the Youngest Young Bucs!

We have signed 19 players for the current 2021-22 international signing period. pic.twitter.com/GnqvTPDiga

– Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) January 18, 2022

Pirates’s international signature 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 short players Roinny Aguiar (Venezuela), De Los Santos, Daje Morales and Cristopher Orelin and Isaac Paulino (Dominican Republic); left-handers Hader Blanco (Colombia), Angel Camacho (Mexico) and Jarlen De la Paz (Dominican Republic); right Chang, Dermis Ordonez (Venezuela) and Rosa, Alberto Saba and Alexis Torres (Dominican Republic); off the field Blanco Jr. and Eduardo Oviedo (Dominican Republic) and Angel Rodriguez (Panama); staples Axiel Plaz and Richard Ramirez (Venezuela); and first base Carlos Tirado (Mexico).