Nationals complete their 2026 international signings with a hitting-heavy approach

The Nationals have signed their newest international class. In this, they put pen to paper with two top-50 prospects, including Samil Serrano and Isaias Suarez from the Dominican Republic. It will be very long before any of these young prospects see an MLB diamond, but early investments may hopefully provide long-term returns here. In total, the team signed 15 prospects, and here are some of the top names to know.

After a relatively quiet offseason so far on the player acquisition front, with just one big league signing to this point, this was a nice change of pace for us Nationals fans who have been wanting to see a lot more this winter.

Samil Serrano

Serrano joins the Nationals as a 17-year old outfielder from the Dominican Republic. Serrano is the #16 International prospect, per Baseball America. In signing, he does so with a $1.97 Million signing bonus. Serrano is of great value as he bats and throws both lefty. The young prospect is raved about for his pure-swing. He should have long-term hitting to be of great value, hopefully also adding power as a 6'3" product.

Isaias Suarez

Suarez joins the Nationals much like Serrano. He is a 17-year old outfielder from the Dominican Republic. In his Baseball America ranking, Suarez is the #18 International prospect. Suarez joins the Nationals with a $1.9 Million signing bonus. However, Suarez is a righty batter and thrower of the baseball. He is said to be very athletic, but more of a long-term, developmental signing.

Angel Ramirez

The next best prospect that the Nationals add is Angel Ramirez. He is the #52 prospect, per Baseball America. Ramirez is 17-years old, also out of the Dominican Republic. He is a switch hitter, throwing righty. Despite being a switch hitter, Ramirez is said to be stronger from the left. He has early hopes of being a power hitter as he grows, and adds size.

Juan Duran

Of course, positions can change over time. However, the Nationals 4th-highest rated prospect will be Duran, also an outfielder, 16-years old from the Dominican Republic. He is the #53 prospect, per Baseball America. He is one of the younger prospect in the Top 100. Time will tell what he can bring to the table as he gets older and grows into his own.

Other Nationals Prospects

In total, the Nationals signed 15 total prospects. They have (8) from the Dominican Republic, (6) from Venezuela, and (1) from Panama. They signed themselves (6) Outfielders, (4) Right-Handed Pitchers, (3) Catchers, (1) Shortstop, and (1) Third Baseman.

The oldest prospect that the team signed is Luis Tarifa, a 19-year old catcher from Venezuela. Their youngest prospect is Pedro Guerra, a 16-year old catcher also from Venezuela.

What Management Says About the International Class

Victor Rodriguez, Nationals Director of International Operations, states that the team will likely maintain a hitting-heavy approach to their international classes. This proves the case as they signed just 4-of-15 players being pitchers.

Other than that, it is common scout-talk. The pitchers are for upside and hitting the zone. As these are just kids, it is the long-term upside when you sign many of them. Obviously, it will be up to the team pipeline to get these players to become the stars they aspire to be.