Houston Astros 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 star of the class for the Astros is Cuban outfielder Kevin Alvarez, who is getting $2 million. There’s still a lot of space for Alvarez to add good weight to his tall, lean frame (6-foot-4, 185 pounds) to enhance an already promising foundation of hitting ability. He’s a lefty with long limbs that he’s able to sync up well at the plate to keep his swing direct and efficient, making contact at a high clip and spreading the ball around the field. Alvarez has grown a couple inches into his current height since many clubs were scouting him, and while it’s still a hit-over-power game right now, there’s significant projection for Alvarez to grow into bigger home run sock once he packs on more muscle. Alvarez has an above-average arm and good defensive instincts in center field, but he’s an average runner, so with his size, he probably will ultimately make his way to a corner.
Venezuelan center fielder Anthony Millan brings an intriguing blend of skills at the plate and in the field at a premium position. He’s a quick-burst athlete with a pair of tools that draw plus or better grades between his speed and arm strength. With his defensive instincts, he could be a plus defender in center field. At 5-foot-10 righthanded hitter, Millan has a medium frame and might never be a huge power threat, but he has performed well in games with an aggressive approach.
Righthander Omar Damian pitched well for the Dominican Republic last year at the U-18 World Cup Americas Qualifier, where he allowed two runs over five innings with 11 strikeouts and two walks. He’s a projectable 6-foot-2, 180 pounds with a fastball up to 90 mph and the ability to manipulate multiple secondary pitches, including a changeup that’s extremely advanced for his age and a mid-70s curveball he has feel for as well. Juan Fraide is a Mexican righthander who is 18, so he was previously eligible to sign, with a fastball up to 95 mph, tight rotation on both his curveball and slider and feel for a changeup. Fraide also pitched in the U-18 World Cup Americas Qualifier and dominated there, striking out 15 with no walks and two runs allowed over 10 innings.
Juan Rojas is a 6-foot, lefthanded-hitting shortstop from the Dominican Republic with good plate discipline and solid bat-to-ball skills with a line drive approach. He could move all over the infield, with second base potentially his best position. Venezuelan shortstop Santiago Martinez is another player who could move all over the infield. He’s a 6-foot righthanded hitter with a high-contact bat in a hit-over-power profile. Dominican shortstop Pablo Martinez is a little bit smaller at 5-foot-10, but he’s another hit-over-power player guy with occasional sneaky pop for his size and above-average speed with the potential to play multiple infield spots.
