In little over two months, Major League Baseball teams will sign this year’s Latin American and Caribbean talent during the international signing period starting July 2 and continuing until August 31.
Big Dominican stars are often acquired during these late summer months like pitcher Michel Inoa by the Oakland Athletics just last year. 16 year old players are eligible to sign with major league teams at anytime between these dates while players who turn 16 during this period are eligible to sign on their birthdays.
Unlike ten or fifteen years ago, when Dominican players where commonly represented by a makeshift group of buscons, family, and friends, today’s players belong to sophisticated baseball programs that house, feed, train, and showcase the players in anticipation of them being signed and trained at a major league academy on the island. The players are often better represented and under contract, as well with programs taking a fixed percentage of the signing bonuses instead of giving up everything as in years past.
This year the same baseball program that developed Inoa and Juan Miranda has four prospects hoping to follow in their success. Born to Play Baseball Academy (BPBA) is a growing powerhouse in the player development industry in the Dominican Republic with 16 signature players signed with major league teams in the last five years.
The most promising player in the BPBA is 16-year-old, 6’2”, Wagner Mateo OF who leads the four players with strong hitting, power, speed, and defensive tools. The others are shortstop Rosel Herrera and pitchers Victor Payano and Mario Sel Cairo. All four players attended spring training in Florida by invitation this year as a way to evaluate them in the United States.
Another baseball program, Taveras Baseball Academy which was responsible for developing New York Mets Class A second baseman Gregory Veloz, is betting on shortstop Roberto Garcias to get picked up this year.
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