The Orioles kicked off another year\u2019s international amateur signing period with some of their most high-end investments in signing bonuses yet. The 2026 signing class from the Orioles is the smallest they\u2019ve had since Mike Elias\u2019s team got rolling in this market, but that\u2019s only because the team has signed four players to bonuses of at least $1 million for the first time ever. This includes one player, shortstop Jose Luis Acevedo, getting a new team record for his signing bonus at $2.3 million.<\/p>\n
This year marks five years since the Orioles were a part of this market in earnest. International amateur players are the kinds that the Orioles were barely signing under Dan Duquette and earlier general managers. It\u2019s an inherently risky market to participate in since the players being signed are 16 and 17 years old and they might turn into nothing. It\u2019s a risk that teams also really need to take, since generally around a third of top prospects in the game at any given time come from this part of the world.<\/p>\n
For the 2026 period, which is open through December 15, the Orioles have a signing bonus pool to use of $8,034,900. They\u2019re one of seven teams at this bonus amount, the highest available to any team during this period. The minimum amount that any team has to spend this year is $5,440,000.<\/p>\n
The vast majority of that money is wrapped up in announcements made today, because although it\u2019s technically illegal for teams and players to agree before the signing period opens, this practice is nonetheless extremely commonplace. That\u2019s how everything can be rolled out on the day things begin. Everything was already agreed to in advance. Baseball America had the Orioles big bonus players reported well beforehand<\/a>.<\/p>\n Although this is always an exciting day, it is worth keeping in mind that these players, even if things go very well for them, are 4+ years away from making MLB contributions. Rookie catcher Samuel Basallo was the first big international investment to make it to the Orioles in the Elias era. He arrived late last season, four years after he\u2019d signed, and that was a fast timetable. For this year\u2019s class, it would not be out of the ordinary for a steady progression to result in an arrival in 2032. That\u2019s a long way off.<\/p>\n The Orioles have signed four players in the top 50 on Baseball America\u2019s top 100 list, four of the 59 players ranked by Eric Longenhagen at FanGraphs<\/a>, five of the top 50 of MLB Pipeline\u2019s ranking for this class<\/a>. Here they are:<\/p>\n Acevedo is a 17-year-old righty-batting infielder from the Dominican Republic. He checks in at #9 on FanGraphs, #11 in BA\u2019s ranking and #14 on MLB Pipeline, with this scouting report from BA:<\/p>\n (Acevedo is) skilled on both sides of the ball with a good blend of tools and instincts from a player who projects to stick at shortstop. It\u2019s a sound righthanded swing with an advanced offensive approach for his age. \u2026 has the bat speed to generate home run power to his pull side without having to get big with his swing and a wiry frame that points to bigger power coming once he fills out. He\u2019s an average runner who moves around well at shortstop, where he has quick-twitch actions, a good internal clock and a plus arm.<\/p>\n One thing it is good to keep in mind is that you can always find exciting-sounding scouting reports among these players, including ones who the Orioles have signed in recent years. This represents their potential of being able to develop into big leaguers, or at least tradeable prospects, if things go right. Not everyone does it! The O\u2019s do seem to like Acevedo\u2019s chances since they\u2019ve just given him their highest-ever bonus.<\/p>\n Roque is a 17-year-old lefty-batting outfielder, also from the Dominican. He ranks at #15 (FG), #18 (Pipeline), and #22 (BA) on these lists. Both of these outlets scouting reports take note of his all-around athleticism, one of those phrases typically thrown around for players who have clear physical gifts but will need a lot of experience to turn those gifts into actually being good at baseball. Pipeline on Roque:<\/p>\n (Roque) keeps his hands fairly high but utilizes his oodles of bat speed to consistently get to all types of pitches, often spraying line drives from gap to gap. There is a slight bat wiggle at the top and a leg kick that he uses to tap into his power, which is still blossoming as he works to lift the ball more frequently. \u2026 A surefire bet to stick (in center field) as he moves into pro ball, he has plus wheels that he utilizes to impact the game both with the glove and on the basepaths. There is a clear up arrow next to Roque\u2019s name as he should continue to improve upon his already impressive tool package as he gains pro instruction.<\/p>\n The Baltimore Banner\u2019s Andy Kostka reported that Roque is receiving a $1.7 million bonus from the team.<\/p>\n Gomez, also 17, is a righty batter who is likewise from the Dominican Republic. He sits at #23 at FanGraphs, #35 on Pipeline\u2019s list and #38 on the BA list. He\u2019s bigger than many of the players in the signing class, with BA reporting his height\/weight at 6\u20192\u201d and 210 lbs. There is less room for him to beef up than many of the other players who will be signed today, though he still could. FanGraphs on Gomez:<\/p>\n A leviathan corner outfield prospect with huge power, Gomez is very likely to develop at least plus raw power at peak, and he has a slight chance to enter 70-grade territory. Whether he\u2019ll make enough contact for that to matter we\u2019ll learn once he\u2019s in pro ball. Right now his swing tends to work toward the opposite field gap; he\u2019s less able to pull the ball than some of the other thumpers in the 2026 class.<\/p>\n If this was the highest-ranked player that the Orioles signed in the class, that would not be the most exciting report. As merely the third of four seven-figure bonus players, that is much more interesting. We could stand to have some leviathans around here. Gomez is getting $1.25 million.<\/p>\n Rosario is another 17-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic. He bats from the left side and is distinguished from the others by being the tallest, listed already at 6\u20194\u201d, though at 205 lbs. he may have more room to add strength than the previous player, Gomez. He\u2019s the #33 ranked player at FG, and #41 on each of the BA and MLB Pipeline lists. BA on Rosario:<\/p>\n Rosario has one of the better blends of hitting ability and power in the 2026 international signing class. He has a tall, strong build with some more physical upside remaining and can drive balls out of the park to the middle of the field over to his pull side. While Rosario can launch balls a long way, it\u2019s his pure hitting ability that stands out. He has a patient approach, draws plenty of walks to get on base and doesn\u2019t sell out his swing to have to generate that power. \u2026 He\u2019s a below-average runner who \u2026 projects best in left field.<\/p>\n This is another guy where, if he was the best guy, you\u2019d kind of have to say, eh. Future stars get more impressive write-ups than this. Still, hearing about a combination of pure hitting ability and power is unusual, so if he can manage to keep that up, we\u2019ll be hearing about him down the road. Rosario\u2019s bonus checks in at $1.05 million.<\/p>\n Hidalgo is a 16-year-old pitcher who hails from the DR. This is the top-ranked pitcher in the signing class on Pipeline\u2019s list and one of just two pitchers to make it on to their top 50. Baseball America has also ranked Hidalgo, where he sits down at #80 but with a \u201ctrending up\u201d notation on his profile. Hidalgo is already listed at 6\u20194\u201d, so it\u2019s not too surprising to see \u201ctall young lefty\u201d getting some attention. Pipeline on Hidalgo:<\/p>\n Hidalgo operates in the low 90s \u2013 and has topped out around 95 mph \u2013 with his four-seam fastball, utilizing his loose and lanky limbs to give batters something of a different look on the mound. He hides the ball well on his front side, using his extra-large frame to create extension and cut down the hitters\u2019 reaction time. \u2026 Command of those offerings will be the key in determining if Hidalgo can reach his extremely high ceiling. His control can ebb and flow from one outing to the next but scouts point to his clean and repeatable delivery as having a balancing-out effect.<\/p>\n