These 5 clubs have the best '25 int'l signing classes so far

We¡¯re just a few weeks into the 2025 international signing period and there have already been lots of pens put to paper. Yes, a vast majority of these players are several years away from the big leagues if all goes according to plan, but it¡¯s Step 1 on the journey to get there. It¡¯s also a time for organizations to be excited about all the talent they¡¯ve added to the fold.

By now, you¡¯ve probably heard that the Dodgers landed 23-year-old Roki Sasaki, who qualified for -- and topped -- our Top 50 International Prospects list since he was subject to international bonus pool rules as a foreign professional under the age of 25. Los Angeles gave Sasaki $6.5 million (nearly its entire bonus pool) to land him, and while he figures to be an impact performer at the Major League level immediately (he was ranked No. 1 overall by MLB Pipeline on its new Top 100 Prospects list, after all), other clubs went in the direction of spreading out their pool allotment, trying to land as many future stars as possible.

So who has put together the best 2025 signing class? That¡¯s a bit of an inexact science since players have until Dec. 15 to come to agreements with clubs.

But here are five teams that have landed an impressive haul so far.

Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays were the club I highlighted as having the best haul on the Pipeline Podcast a few weeks ago, and for good reason: They inked four players who commanded seven-figure bonuses, led by the No. 9 prospect in the class, Maykel Coret. A 6-foot-4 athletic dynamo who has the look of an impact talent both at the dish and in the field, it¡¯s above-average tools across the board for the 17-year-old from the Dominican Republic.

The duo of Raymer Medina (No. 20) and Warel Solano (No. 30) gives the Rays a pair of potential shortstops with complementary skill sets -- a good problem to have. Medina has the defensive advantage with throws across the dirt clocked as fast as 92 mph, while Solano is seen as having a current leg up offensively, consistently popping triple-digit exit velocities at age 17. Eliomar Garces, another shortstop, just narrowly missed making the Top 50 list in his own right.

Miami Marlins
Padres No. 2 prospect Ethan Salas may have said it best about his younger brother, Andrew, the No. 5 prospect in this year¡¯s international class: ¡°He¡¯s a beast.¡± Salas has scouts divided on his long-term defensive home, excelling at both shortstop and center field, all while having proven his mettle offensively in Venezuelan professional leagues.

Miami also added right-hander Kevin Defrank, 2025¡¯s third-highest ranked pitching prospect, to the fold. Already equipped with two plus offerings by age 16, the 6-foot-5 Dominican righty has a repeatable delivery to boot.

But that¡¯s not the only high upside hurler they landed: meet Adri¨¢n Pe?a, a 6-foot-7 righty with a mid-90s heater and breaking ball he can spin up to 2800 rpm. Similar to how Eury P¨¦rez was something of an under-the-radar signee in 2019 before a growth spurt put him at 6-foot-8, the Marlins believe they may have landed an arm that is only scratching the surface of his potential.

• Subscribe to the MLB Pipeline Newsletter

Athletics
There are up arrows next to the names of Ayden Johnson (No. 12) and Darwing Ozuna (No. 16). Many evaluators see Johnson as being one of the most well-prepared Bahamian players to make the transition to pro ball in quite some time. Ozuna is from a family of athletes and is already 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds at age 16. He also has a cannon of a throwing arm to go along with his above-average power.

Breyson Guedez, a left-handed-hitting outfielder from Venezuela, was also in consideration for a Top 50 slot. Having received a $1.5 million signing bonus, the A¡¯s believe in his natural bat-to-ball skills. His mother was a sprinter, which is indicative of the potentially impactful speed he brings to the game on both the basepaths and in center field.

Of course, the A¡¯s also landed Shotaro Morii, a legitimate two-way prospect who hit 45 home runs during his high school tenure in Japan and has been clocked as high as 95 mph on the mound.

Milwaukee Brewers
When superstars emerge from the international market, they often have many of the same traits that Kenny Fenelon (No. 36) has: Big-time power, run and fielding tools; an ebullient personality; a desire to not only get better on the field but to grow off it as well. There is a more limited track record of success at this stage, but the Brewers are ecstatic about adding him to the fold for the player he could blossom into.

When the Brewers nabbed Jackson Chourio out of Maracaibo, Venezuela, in 2021, it¡¯s not likely even they could have projected how quickly he¡¯d emerge into a Rookie of the Year and 30-homer/30-steal candidate. While that¡¯s a steep expectation for anyone to follow, they once again landed an exciting right-handed-hitting outfielder from Maracaibo this go-round: Brailyn Antunez (No. 42).

The club also landed shortstop Cristopher Acosta (No. 45), giving them three Top 50 signings.

Boston Red Sox
No. 8 prospect Dorian Soto is the Red Sox¡¯s highest-ranked international prospect in 11 years. He gets effusive reviews for his work ethic, which when combined with his all-around skill set, gives him one of the highest ceilings among all members of his class.

Harold Rivas (No. 32) has already landed some George Springer comparisons as a rangy 6-foot-2 outfielder with graceful strides. Rivas has been an analytics beast, consistently generating top-tier bat speeds, something that the Red Sox have unearthed with multiple prospects, namely Kristian Campbell (MLB¡¯s No. 7 overall prospect).

Red Sox officials are ecstatic about Sadbiel Delzine, the No. 4 pitching prospect in this year¡¯s international group. He¡¯s 6-foot-5 with velocity already consistently in the mid 90s, a repeatable delivery and a propensity for strike-throwing.