Dark horses International signing period (2025-2026)
20 Dark horses and top 5 players by tools of the class
For the upcoming 2025/2026 international signing period, I’ve decided to create this new showcase to better organize all the prospect information from top tools to potential hidden gems that could make a real impact in the MLB system.
It didn’t make much sense to cram that massive amount of data into a single article alongside my take on the Top 50 Talents in the class, plus the organizational signing lists.
Every international signing period, we often ask ourselves without any certain answers who will be the José Altuve, José Ramírez, or Junior Caminero of this class? I think that with pieces like these, we now have a better idea of what’s to come.
For the first time, I’m compiling this list of hidden talents to help you find out: the top 20 names that many scouts believe have the potential not just to navigate the winding paths of the Minor Leagues, but to actually reach the Majors.
There’s a key reason behind this. A scout once told me: “Tools are incredibly fluid. Sometimes they emerge for a spell, and other times they vanish.” In the current international signing system, organizations pre-agree with players aged 13 to 15, two or three years before they’re eligible to sign in their designated period. During that window, while teams continue to meticulously track a talent’s development, the pre-agreed signing bonuses are often flexible and adjustable.
That’s why a prospect initially slotted for $150,000 could, in just a few months, show an “upgrade” in tools like hitting and power, boosting their overall value as a talent type.
Dark horses:
This is the second time I’ve taken on the task of putting together these lists, and after interviewing around 25 scouts, many of them consistently pointed out what they consider true “hidden gems.”
In today’s market, versatility is highly valued, multi-tool players and position players tend to be rewarded and several of the names below are prospects who signed for no more than $600,000 in bonuses.
That is why I came up with this list of 20 names for the 2025–2026 international class. I consider them special: players that multiple scouts have singled out as strong candidates to advance within the MLB system.