Chicago Cubs 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 Cubs have two homegrown international signings ranked among their top 10 prospects with Venezuelan catcher Moises Ballesteros (a Top 100 overall prospect) and Dominican shortstop Jefferson Rojas. There’s a good chance at least one of their big signings for 2025 could end up in that tier eventually.
Dominican shortstop Wilfry De La Cruz, signing for $2.3 million, sticks out immediately for his physical upside at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds with a long, wiry frame featuring room to add another 30-plus pounds. A switch-hitter, De La Cruz is starting to flash more over-the-fence juice, and there’s potential plus power to go with a patient approach that should help him draw plenty of walks. He’s an above-average runner who should get an opportunity to develop at shortstop, where he has a play arm and a good internal clock, though given his size and first-step quickness, he could end up at third base.
Dominican shortstop Juan Cabada ($1.5 million) stands out for his hitting ability. At 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, Cabada doesn’t have big physical upside, but he has a clean lefthanded swing, good plate discipline and a high contact rate in games. How much power Cabada is able to develop will be key, with some scouts believing it will always be a hit-over-power profile, while others thought he could start to show more power as he learns which pitches to hunt for damage instead of spreading the ball around the field. He’s an average runner who might see time at shortstop early in his career but likely fits better at second or third base long term.
Arguably the most exciting upside in the Cubs’ class belongs to Juan Tomas. He’s athletic, 6-foot-3, 175 pounds and might not be done growing into a highly projectable build and tool set that should allow his tools to continue trending up. He’s a plus runner with the look of a player who might still get faster as he fills out. There’s potential for a power/speed threat with Tomas’ ability to drive the ball with impact now and much bigger power to come with physical maturity. For a young, long-limbed hitter, Tomas has done a good job of keeping his swing under control from both sides of the plate to help him perform well against live pitching.
Mexican righthander Tadeo Gomez is an arm to watch in the class. At 5-foot-10, he’s not that tall, but he has stood out for his pitchability. He has a fast arm and a fastball that has been up to 94 mph. Dominican outfielder Julio Acosta is an athletic center fielder with a mix of power and speed. He’s a 6-foot righthanded hitter who is still learning to translate it all in games, but he’s a plus runner with a plus arm and big righthanded power to dream on if everything comes together. Dominican infielder Luis Santos has a compact, efficient swing and good strike-zone judgment, allowing to make contact at a high clip with gap power, likely fitting best at second or third base.