Monday was the first day of 2024's international signing period, and the San Francisco Giants were active.
The team announced Monday that it had signed 20 prospects, including 11 from Venezuela, five from the Dominican Republic, one from Cuba, one from Panama, one from Brazil and one from Aruba. The group features four pitchers, three catchers, six outfielders and seven outfielders.
But the most notable moves were the signings of two hitters ranked in MLB.com's top 50. The pair of Venezuelan prospects, catcher Yoendry Sanchez (No. 36-ranked prospect) and infielder Johnny Level (No. 44-ranked prospect), took up the most sizable chunk of their international pool money.
According to MLB.com's Jesse Borek and Jesús Cano, the team paid both roughly $1 million, leaving around $3 million of their $5.284 million base signing pool for their other signings.
Here's what Borek and Cano say about Sanchez — who they compare to a "young Gary Sánchez" due to his size — in their report:
"Sanchez displays plenty of raw power and arm strength. The young catcher moves well for his size and has made significant strides in his overall game on defense.
His power is ahead of his other tools at the moment, and he has flashed the potential to leave the yard in all directions. The belief is that his offensive prowess will continue to improve as he develops and makes his way up the levels in the professional ranks."
Level, meanwhile, gets a comparison to Rafael Furcal, along with this assessment:
"Level is an athletic switch-hitting infield prospect with fluid swing mechanics and a natural feel for hitting. He has the potential to hit for both power and contact -- from both sides of the plate. Scouts have been impressed with his elite bat speed.
"Level has enough range to stick in the infield with improved footwork and has good reaction time. His arm strength has been his most notable tool on defense to date."
While the signing period for international prospects extends until December 15, most of the top-50 players were signed Monday. Players have to turn 16 before signing the deal. All players in this year's class will be born between Sept. 1, 2006, and Aug. 31, 2007.