Brewers Expected to Add 3 Top-50 International Prospects Next Week

[Jamie Cameron]

The signing period for International Free Agency opens next week. Here's a preview of the headliners of the Brewers' forthcoming international prospect class.

Image courtesy of © Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

The signing period for international amateur free agency opens on Jan. 15, 2025. The Brewers are one of eight teams who will have the largest bonus pools, with each of the eight eligible to spend $7,555,500. The 2025 international signing period is unlike any in recent memory, with the decision of Roki Sasaki set to have significant ripple effects throughout baseball. It seems unlikely that the Brewers will sign Sasaki, but whoever he signs with will likely leave several top prospects hanging without deals. While it’s normally fair to assume teams will make good on their verbal agreements with prospects, this season, I’d approach the window with less certainty. Currently, Milwaukee has been closely tied to—and is expected to sign—three of the top 50 prospects, per MLB.com.

36. Kenny Fenelon, OF, Dominican Republic
Kenny Fenelon is a 17-year-old outfielder from the baseball hotbed of Santo Domingo. He's an explosive athlete, with an offensive profile headlined by excellent bat speed and good power projection as he continues to grow into his body. Like many international prospects, Fenelon does most of his damage against fastballs and will need to show adjustability in his swing, both around the plate and against better secondary pitching he will see when he eventually comes Stateside. He has plus speed, so he’s a threat on the base paths. Good route running in the outfield is counterbalanced somewhat by a fringy arm. It’s the whippy, loft-oriented swing that's the headline here.

Fenelon is expected to collect the 30th-largest bonus for an international prospect in the 2025 signing period, per Baseball America. He’ll likely sign for between $1-2 million.

42. Brailyn Antunez, OF, Venezuela
Antunez is an up-arrow prospect in this class who hails from the same region of Venezuela as Jackson Chourio. Antunez is a thickly built, explosively athletic outfielder with good bat speed in his right-handed swing and the potential for above-average power long-term. He gets consistent plaudits for a discerning eye at the plate and the consistency with which he puts together strong at-bats. It’s easy plus speed (an organizational preference) on the base paths, with a skill set that could allow him to stick in center field if it all comes together.

Antunez is expected to claim the class's 40th-largest bonus, around $1 million.

45. Cristopher Acosta, SS, Dominican Republic
Acosta is a 16-year-old shortstop. Defense is the current foundation of his profile, with a good arm, soft hands, and good lateral movement; he's likely to stick at short. Offensively, Acosta has a line drive-oriented, right-handed swing that can get long at times. It’s a hit-over-power profile, though that could change as he continues to fill out.

Acosta is expected to sign the 38th-largest bonus in the class, in that same $1-million neighborhood.

Interest in the Brewers' latest crop of international prospects should be buoyed by their consistent success operating in the international market. Examples like Jeferson Quero, Luis Lara, Yophery Rodriguez, and Jesus Made have made it impossible to ignore the Crew's annual round of IFA signees, even when they aren't considered the elite players in the class. The new crop will undoubtedly be a fun follow in 2025. 

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[jesusoftheapes]

You see this announcement is subterfuge( in my mind )  . Cover because they are actually in secret saving that money for one ROKI SASAKI! Save that and shop nowhere else!  MaKe us all smile Matt Arnold!    A Sasaki, Woodruff, Myers, Gasser, and Misiorowski as the eventual starting pitching group would not suck. Even in 2025 a Woody, Sasaki, Cortez,Myers and Freddy would sure look like The Way. 

I think we are  5 more days before the Brewers acquire the services of one Roki Sasaki.       Those international kids are not worth the commitment and even they would understand that Sasaki is worth them losing their international contracts with the Brew.     They won't even hold it against the Brewers if you pulled that money for Roki .     Sasaki would give us World Series legitimacy and in short order it would give Matt another Award for best in the league at the end of 2025 making him one of the only COE to win it back to back ever if not the only one ever .     

I have been waiting for this for over 40 years Milwaukee.   Can we please just get one of these bad asses who are not a project with no end?   Sasaki vs Skenes matchups .. Man I can see the future and it all looks like BONZI  to me!   Roki Sasaki in Brewers colors is the dream of dreams.   We would instantly have the best pitching prospect in human history and one who is committed to being coached and becoming the best pitcher of all time.   He wants to be coached and we coach better than any pitching coaches in the game.    SO can we just dream big ?  Well we can for about another 5 days.   Then the dream will be realized.    GO CREW! 

[CheeseheadInQC]

On 1/7/2025 at 6:37 AM, Jamie Cameron said:

Interest in the Brewers' latest crop of international prospects should be buoyed by their consistent success operating in the international market. Examples like Jeferson Quero, Luis Lara, Yophery Rodriguez, and Jesus Made have made it impossible to ignore the Crew's annual round of IFA signees, even when they aren't considered the elite players in the class. The new crop will undoubtedly be a fun follow in 2025. 

 

I think you forgot one 😁

[biedergb]

52 minutes ago, CheeseheadInQC said:

I think you forgot one

Yeah how could you forget Jolon Zhao 😉😂

[SF70]

Absolutely love the top 2 prospects being OF’s with power potential, the most glaring organizational weakness, at least positionally, imo.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

13 hours ago, biedergb said:

Yeah how could you forget Jolon Zhao 😉😂

I'm not going to lie...I was near certain you were going to say 18-year-old German Paul Hoff who really brings the kraut every trip to the bump! Alas, perhaps that is my own mind playing tricks on me.

[biedergb]

I was actually going to go to the 'way back' machine and call out Michael "Mitch" Franke, but most posters may not even remember him - nor should they. Having German parents, every German signing is stored and filed away in my brain. So Paul Hoff and Yannic Walter have lifelong fans here with me

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=franke001mic

 

[homer]

List of signees:

Kenny Fenelon, OF, Dominican Republic
Brailyn Antunez, OF, Venezuela
Cristopher Acosta, SS, Dominican Republic
Isaias Chavez, C, Venezuela
Gerlyn Payano, OF, Dominican Republic
Ekys Rivero, OF, Venezuela
Nicolas Barrios, SS, Venezuela
Alexander Frias, OF, Dominican Republic
Yeuri Ramirez, RHP, Dominican Republic
Luis Aguayo, RHP, Mexico

[Joseph Zarr]

There is an entire Forum dedicated to the MLB Draft & International Signings. The 2025 Signing Period thread has been up and active since late September fwiw. Current thread is four pages long and is tracking everything from today.

For those interested, HERE.