Cleveland Guardians 2025 International Class Scouting Report

With center fielder Jaison Chourio and shortstop Welbyn Francisca, two of Cleveland’s top six prospects are homegrown international signings. While both Chourio and Francisca signed seven-figure deals, this year the Guardians spread their bonus pool space around more to a deep group of players, led by several high-contact hitters.

Hiverson Lopez is an offensive-oriented catcher from Venezuela. He’s 5-foot-10, 180 pounds with a short lefthanded swing, good contact skills and game performance. He’s continuing to get stronger with the bat speed to occasionally drive the ball out of the park and the potential to grow into 15-plus home run power. His bat is ahead of his defense, but he should have the tools to stay behind the plate, where he has an above-average arm. 

Dominican shortstop Heins Brito is a high-contact switch-hitter. He’s 5-foot-8, 150 pounds, so he’s a smaller player without much strength yet, but he controls the strike zone, picks up spin and puts the ball in play at a high clip. He should stick in the middle infield, and while he’s not that big, he’s an above-average runner whose athleticism, actions and arm strength could allow him to stay at shortstop. 

Shortstop Luis Garcia, signing for $775,000, is one of the more advanced hitters in the 2025 class from the Dominican Republic. He’s 5-foot-10, 170 pounds with a good foundation of bat speed and contact skills. He’s a switch-hitter with a strong build and the ability to manipulate the barrel for good plate coverage, giving him a blend of both hitting ability and power. Garcia’s offense is ahead of his defense, but he should have the tools to play somewhere in the dirt, possibly at third or second base. 

Gustavo Baptista had been training in Venezuela as an infielder, but he enhanced his value when he moved behind the plate, where his hands and above-average arm fit well. He’s built like a catcher at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds and shows a mix of lefthanded hitting ability and power for his age. The bat is the calling card with Venezuelan shortstop Jose Riera. He’s a righthanded-hitting infielder with solid tools across the board, but it’s his ability to hit in games that sticks out with his sound swing and strike-zone discipline. He could see time at shortstop, second or third base as he moves up the ladder.