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KANSAS CITY -- The 2025 international signing period included the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes. But for the Royals, who were never considered a candidate for the Japanese phenom, the opening of the signing period was business as usual.

They signed 22 international players, holding their signing ceremony at the club¡¯s Dominican Academy late last week. While it¡¯s difficult to project what these 16- and 17-year-olds will look like in five years, the Royals have reasons to be excited about a class headlined by up-the-middle players.

¡°[Royals director of international scouting] Daniel Guerrero did a really good job with keeping everything together, leading the international staff, so I want to make sure he¡¯s recognized,¡± said Rene Francisco, the Royals¡¯ senior vice president of Major League and international operations. ¡°I give him a lot of credit for keeping up with what the kids have been doing for the last couple of years, keeping in touch and running the department.¡±

Catcher Moises Marchán is the highest-ranked prospect the Royals signed, coming in at No. 31 in the 2025 class, per MLB Pipeline. A pair of Dominican shortstops, Warren Calcaño (No. 38) and Ramcell Medina (No. 49), are right behind him.

March¨¢n is one of the top catchers in Venezuela this year and has skills on both sides of the ball. He even runs plus as a catcher; he clocked in at 6.4 seconds in the 60-yard dash. His arm is strong, and he¡¯s a mature hitter who makes consistent contact.

That¡¯s a well-rounded package for a 17-year-old.

¡°He¡¯s really athletic,¡± Francisco said. ¡°... He can really throw. He¡¯s smart. And he has a chance to hit. And he has a very lean, athletic body. We¡¯re just really happy about the signing of this kid.¡±

Calca?o is a switch-hitting shortstop, but Francisco said he¡¯s much better from the left side. He¡¯s still wiry, but Calca?o has grown to 6-foot-2 and looks like a true shortstop with his quick hands, instincts and athleticism.

¡°He can really field,¡± Francisco said. ¡°And he has a really good feel for the strike zone at a young age.¡±

Francisco said Calca?o reminds him a bit of when he scouted Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer in high school. Mayer was selected fourth overall in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, Calif., and is now ranked No. 7 on Pipeline¡¯s Top 100 list. Certainly, Calca?o has a long way to go to get to that level, but Francisco¡¯s mention of Mayer was interesting.

Medina is another shortstop whom the Royals have been watching grow for the past few years. Originally, they thought he was going to be a power-hitting third baseman. But Medina grew taller and stayed lean, with an athletic build that could stick at shortstop. He has a solid track record of producing top-tier exit velocities.

¡°We signed him because we believe he¡¯s going to hit,¡± Francisco said. ¡°But I didn¡¯t think he was going to grow the way that he¡¯s growing now. It¡¯s good to see, and for now, we have to look at him as a shortstop. But we like the bat on this kid. We really like the bat. There¡¯s going to be power there.¡±

The Royals were in the second-highest tier of bonus pools, with $6.9 million to spend in this international class. They discussed trading some money to teams that were going after Sasaki, but nothing ever came to fruition. Calca?o and Medina both signed for $1 million, MLB Pipeline¡¯s Jesse Borek reported, but the team did not publicize the rest of the financial terms.

The Royals also signed right-hander Kendry Chourio, and Francisco raved about the Venezuelan¡¯s maturity and feel for pitching. Chourio¡¯s velocity has increased as he has grown, up from 87 mph when the Royals first started scouting him to 90-94 mph now. He has multiple weapons that he can manipulate.

¡°This kid is really focused and advanced for his age on the mound,¡± Francisco said. ¡°He¡¯s a strike thrower with ability to not only pitch with his fastball, but he has a breaking ball. We¡¯re really happy to get him. We haven¡¯t signed a pitcher like this in my 19 years here. I¡¯m saying as advanced when it comes to pitching. Yordano [Ventura] was different; he has a lot of natural ability. This guy has a package of things, just really advanced.¡±

Other standouts in the Royals¡¯ international class include twin brothers from the Dominican: Luis Ramon King, an outfielder who has a plus arm, and Luis Steven King, a shortstop. And Dominican outfielders Lewis German and Alejandro Guerrero both have high ceilings.

¡°German came to us late, but he¡¯s physical,¡± Francisco said. ¡°He¡¯s really, in the last month that we¡¯ve watched him, performed on the field. And we just think there¡¯s a lot of potential with the bat. Guerrero¡¯s kind of raw, lanky, but he has ability.¡±