Officially beginning on January 15, Major League Baseball’s 2024 international free-agent season will reset each team’s budget and allow players who were too young to sign contracts last year to pursue careers as professional athletes. A comprehensive list of the players anticipated to get one of the top 50 signing bonuses was made public by Baseball America’s Ben Badler. Two of those prospects, catcher Yoendry Sanchez and shortstop Johnny Level, both Venezuelan nationals, are anticipated to sign with the San Francisco Giants, according to Badler.
Sanchez’s skill set has led to comparisons with Gary Sanchez. His greatest asset, considering his previously developed physical build, is his power. “In all directions” is how MLB.com describes Sanchez’s ability to hit home homers. His strong grades in terms of makeup and work ethic raise expectations that his swing-and-miss issues and propensity to widen the strike zone will improve. Sanchez has demonstrated good mobility for his size and an above-average arm to stay at the position despite the fact that he is already a physical athlete. The Giants will probably give him the largest signing bonus of this cycle.
However, according to assessments from Baseball America and MLB.com, Level has demonstrated more of a hit-over-power offensive profile. He bats switch and has already demonstrated a great deal of bat speed and twitch on both sides of the batter’s box. His two swings are visually appealing and should produce a lot of contact. Level hasn’t quite filled out his 5’10”, 160 lb frame yet, but as he gets bigger, he might hit double digit home runs. With his above-average speed, arm strength, and good instincts on both sides of the ball, he has the potential to be a long-term shortstop. He was also likened to former major leaguer Rafael Furcal and rising prospect Brayan Rocchio.