Athletics 2025 International Class Scouting Report
With the MLB international signing period opening today, teams can officially begin to sign players in their 2025 class.
For Baseball America subscribers, we have scouting reports and player notes on the classes for all 30 teams, providing information on the big names to know in each class, as well as deeper cut players to watch.
The A’s have four players lined up to sign for seven-figure deals, a group that includes Shotaro Morii, a shortstop/righthander from Japan. The top high school prospects in Japan nearly always stay in the country to start their careers, but Morii will be different. He’s a two-way player with a simple lefthanded swing and good barrel control. He shows the hand-eye coordination to produce a low swing-and-miss rate and the bat speed to flash home run power to his pull side. Morii has a good chance to stay at shortstop, where he’s a good athlete with smooth actions and a plus arm. Staying a two-way player at shortstop and pitcher would be difficult, but Morii does have legitimate talent on the mound, where he can reach 94 mph and shows feel for both his slider and splitter.
Ayden Johnson, signing for $1.5 million, looks to be getting the top bonus of any player from the Bahamas this year. At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, he’s a physical righthanded hitter with the strength and bat speed to drive the ball with authority and what could end up being plus raw power. Some scouts liked Johnson’s ability to recognize pitches in games and use the middle of the field, though others thought he would have a power-over-hit profile with some rawness still at the plate. Johnson has spent time training at shortstop, where he has an above-average arm, but he probably will migrate soon to third base or possibly second base.
At 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, Breyson Guedez isn’t that big but draws praise for his hitting ability. He’s a lefty with a quick, direct swing who puts balls in play at a high clip. He’s an aggressive hitter who will expand the zone, but he has the hand-eye coordination to make contact on stuff even when he chases. Guedez has a line-drive approach with gap power and doesn’t project to be a major power threat, so it’s his bat that will have to carry him. He’s an average runner who should get an opportunity to develop in center field, but his pure foot speed and range could slide him to a corner.
Dominican outfielder Darwin Ozuna ($1 million) is 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with big righthanded power potential. Ozuna drives the ball deep to his pull side now and should have plus or better raw power once he’s physically mature. It probably will be a power-over-hit offensive game for Ozuna, but for a long-limbed hitter, he does a good job of keeping his hands inside the ball. He projects as a right fielder with an outstanding arm.
