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Which International Prospects Will Get The Biggest Bonuses?
Plus: 2025 data darlings, Best Tools winners & more
Top 30 International Bonus Board For 2026
Though the MLB international signing period doesn’t open until Jan. 15, Baseball America is already looking ahead to the big day with the debut of Ben Badler’s international bonus board for 2026.
As always, the bonus board lines up the players in order of their expected signing bonus. In 2026, there are more than 50 players who are expected to sign for at least $1 million, with around 17 players who should be at $2 million or above. The top bonus in the class is expected to go to Luis Hernandez, a shortstop from Venezuela with a polished offensive skill set who is set to sign with the Giants.
Check out our initial bonus board installment to see the top 30 players on the IFA market, complete with updated scouting reports and signing teams.
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MINOR LEAGUE HITTING DATA
2025 Data Darlings To Keep An Eye On
As we begin to wind down the 2025 minor league season, players across all levels have well-stabilized data and metrics. This provides us an opportunity to dig in on performance to identify strengths, weaknesses and outliers.
From full-season stars to the under-the-radar Dominican Summer League names, Geoff Pontes has been busy identifying a number of standout data performers who could be ready for bigger things heading into 2026.
PIRATES CALL UP BUBBA CHANDLER
The long wait is over—Bubba Chandler is headed to the Pirates.
The Pirates are calling up their top pitching prospect for his long-anticipated big league debut, according to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Chandler, the No. 15 prospect in baseball, is expected to be added to the roster on Friday and pitch in a bulk-innings role out of the bullpen for the time being, which is a similar plan to how the Pirates handled the callup of fellow pitching prospect Braxton Ashcraft earlier in the season.
The hard-throwing righthander has arguably the best fastball in the minors, sitting in the upper 90s and regularly touching 100+ mph with impressive carry through the zone. Minor League managers voted Chandler’s fastball as the best heater in the Triple-A International League this year, where they also tabbed him as the circuit’s best overall pitcher.
BEST TOOLS 2025
2025 MiLB Best Tools: Managers Vote On The Top Prospects
Minor league Best Tools is one of Baseball America’s longest-running features. Stretching back to 1983, it means that Dwight Gooden, Kirby Puckett and Orel Hershiser were among the first year Best Tools honorees.
This year’s list of winners includes a number of high-profile, up-and-coming names like Roman Anthony, Nick Kurtz, Konnor Griffin, Chase Burns, Bubba Chandler and lots more.
PROSPECTS GETTING LOVE
Top 100 Prospects Coaches, Scouts Love
With more than 200 winners spread across 20 categories in this year’s MiLB Best Tools ballot, the list of winners covers a wide spectrum of players. Some prospects, however, have garnered higher praise from others this year as they’ve rising up the Top 100 rankings.
As such, we’ve compiled breakdowns of 10 these highly-acclaimed players by level from our upcoming Best Tools/Top 100 double magazine issue available for preorder now.
TRENDING NOW AT BASEBALL AMERICA
⚾️ Jacob Rudner reported on the murky future of summer collegiate leagues.
🎙️The Prospect Podcast discussed high- and low-risk players.
⚒️ Matt Eddy wrote about MLB’s Best Tools of the 2020s (so far).
🔟 Here are the top 10 prospects on the Team USA Collegiate National Team.
💬 J.J. Cooper hosted this week’s Hot Sheet chat.
🎙️ The latest College Podcast discussed summer standouts and fall ball.
🆕 FSU’s Michael Alford will chair the NCAA Baseball Selection Committee.
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