Mariners sign 12 international players including 2 top 20 prospects

Fans receive some positive news as the Mariners announce 12 international signings, highlighted by Yorger Bautista and Kendry Martinez.

The Seattle Mariners are understandably disappointed to not be among the three finalists in the running to sign pitching phenom Roki Sasaki, who has been described as the Japanese LeBron James. However, they still managed to get the international signing period off to a positive start on Wednesday, after agreeing terms with 12 players.

The signings were highlighted by bringing in two of the top 20 2025 international prospects, in the form of outfielder Yorger Bautista and shortstop Kendry Martinez. MLB pipeline rank Bautista at number six and Martinez at number 19.

While financial terms of the deals have not been announced by the Mariners, several reports indicate Bautista and Martinez will receive $2.1 million and $2 million respectively. Given that the club is among those with the highest international bonus pool allotment of just over $7.55 million, this leaves around $3.45 million to use for the other signings.

Mariners senior director of international scouting Frankie Thon Jr. shared his opinion of the international signings via a press release by the club. He said:

“Today is special not only for the players and their families, but also for the members of our scouting staff who have been present throughout the entire evaluation process. There’s no better reward than watching these players’ dreams come true right in front of our eyes. Not only are we signing two of the top 20 overall prospects, but this position player group in general is also deeper than most years, in regards to both their offensive impact and their overall potential.”

“La Bestia”

With Bautista specifically, when your nickname is “The Beast” due to how well you compete against older competition, this has to be a good sign for the Mariners. He has top level tools all around, projecting as a middle-of-the order, power-hitting center fielder with good speed and a strong arm.

“Yorger Bautista is an exciting and explosive athlete, with arguably the highest upside of any player available in the entire 2025 international player pool,” Thon Jr. said. “He brings elite bat speed and top of the scale strength relative to this age group. He’s also a plus runner, with a good glove in center field and a cannon of an arm. There’s a reason Yorger’s teammates and coaches in Venezuela have nicknamed him “La Bestia” (the Beast).”

As for Martinez, he has been described as the top prospect to emerge among this year’s Santo Domingo group, which is certainly an excellent endorsement. While he doesn’t have a power bat as such at this stage, he has an innate ability to make regular contact, is projected as a middle infielder and overall has a high baseball IQ .

“Kendry Martinez is a natural hitter with an easy swing, who already does a lot of what is usually hard to teach: he controls the zone, recognizes pitches early, makes a lot of contact and uses the whole field,” Thon Jr. said. “He’s a versatile infielder with solid defensive tools, to go along with good instincts. Kendry performed very well in the showcase circuit.”

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The rest of the Mariners international signing class

Here is some brief information on the other 10 prospects, courtesy of the Mariners:

• Henry Alcantara, RHP, Venezuela – Compact delivery, high 80’s to low 90’s fastball, and an above-average curveball.
• Manuel Almeida, C, Venezuela – Switch-hitting catcher with solid arm strength, plus raw power at the plate and good bat speed.
• Cesar Farías, RHP, Venezuela – Quick aggressive arm and a low 90’s fastball with solid life.
• Wisler Infante, RHP, Venezuela – Low 90’s fastball and a plus slider, should miss a lot of bats due to the angle, life, and deception.
• Randal Muñoz, RHP, Dominican Republic – Balanced and methodical tempo to his delivery, has a high 80’s to low 90’s fastball with a plus changeup.
• Elias Pérez, OF, Dominican Republic – switch-hitting center fielder with plus athleticism and good tools, plus runner with a plus glove in the outfield and plus raw strength at the plate.
• Ismanuel Piña, RHP, Dominican Republic – Clean and balanced delivery, a low 90’s fastball with a solid curveball.
• Christopher Quiroz, RHP, Dominican Republic – Long projectable frame, good extension on his delivery, and a lower release, low 90’s fastball with solid life and above-average changeup.
• Darwin Ramos, RHP, Dominican Republic – Plus ride and extension on a high 80’s to low 90’s fastball.
• Maikol Rodríguez, OF, Cuba – left-handed hitting outfielder with a compact swing, high on-base skills and good defensive instincts.

Main photo credit: Mariners media

What is your opinion of the intentional players signed by the Mariners? What other moves do you predict the front office will make before spring training begins next month? Let us know in the comments section below.