Dominican Summer League Preview

There is nothing quite like the start of a minor league level opening up. There is so much optimism around the prospects we roster or want to trade for, and nowhere is there more optimism than the DSL, because these prospects could be anything. They could even be the next Jesus Made. This league is particularly hard to evaluate because of a wide range of factors, and the quality of player is the least refined in all of affiliated baseball.

The pitchers at this level are not exactly known for throwing quality strikes. They are anywhere from 16 to 17-year-olds who have an interesting pitch or two but no command, which is very normal for players still going through growth spurts and the physical changes that come with puberty, or 20-year-olds who are on their last chance to be a professional.

The hitters at this level are also so young, and at that age, they want to swing. It is less important for them to draw walks, though they most definitely will, because the command and control of pitchers at this level lag behind, and there will be some free passes as a result.

Another component that makes evaluating at this level tricky is the video feeds. For the most part, minor league baseball fields are pretty good, but at this level, we are at the mercy of grainy YouTube feeds. Some organizations do it well, like the Phillies, the Giants, the guy who does the Rockies stream, the A's, and the Diamondbacks. Others, like the Angels stream, not so much, which is disappointing because they have some interesting IFA guys every year.

Without further ado, let’s talk about some prospects and get things primed for who to follow, as Chris and I will be updating you on who is who to pick up, trade, and move on from in your leagues.

Francisco Renteria, OF, 17, 6’3”/178, Philadelphia Phillies

Chris ranked Francisco Renteria very highly on his 2026 FYPD list, and it is easy to see why. He has plus power in the tank and might be a solid fantasy runner. Chris was aggressive on him, ranking him 15th in last year's first-year player draft crop, so anyone who invested in him is going to want to see a lot. Luckily, he is a Phillies prospect, so we will get a good stream for his home games with some exit velocity data.

Renteria's swing is geared toward getting the bat head out in front of the ball and lifting and pulling batted balls, which, given he might have plus raw power in the tank, could result in some serious power output if he makes the majors. Watching him in some preseason stuff for the Phillies DSL squad, he is a good runner and could very well be a power and speed threat in his early years when he is major league ready.

There is some hope that his approach will put him in good hitter's counts, and with arguably the best power in his signing class it is easy to see the appeal of Renteria. If it all clicks, there could be a 30-homer bat in there somewhere. He will be a priority follow for me this season, as I have my notifications on for when his team plays.

Wandy Asigen, SS, 16, 6’0”/180, New York Mets

We may have to wait to see Wandy Asigen, as it is being reported that he is dealing with a hamstring injury, but sometimes patience is a virtue. Many will remember Wandy not only as someone they drafted in the middle of their FYPDs, but as someone who was once committed to the Yankees and then switched to the Mets following changes in the Yankees' international scouting department.

It is still to be determined just how long it will take Asigen to come back fully from the hamstring injury, especially given we do not know the severity. He is a fantastic athlete with present power and the sort of frame one can project more power onto.

There are some hit tool risks here, but when you can project someone out to hit 20-25 homers like we do with Asigen, you can see why we were so high on him. There is a chance he can be an all-category contributor who plays some shortstop or even third base. I will be awaiting his debut and hope this hamstring issue does not hold him back from a good season in the DSL.

Angeibel Gomez, OF, 17, 6’2”/173, Kansas City Royals

Angeibel is just as dynamic a fantasy profile as his peers, because the speed is good and he may have just as much raw power as anyone in his class, including the aforementioned Francisco Renteria. If you squint, you see your prototypical right-field profile, with a frame that can stand to add a bit more strength as he ages.

Angeibel has the chance to develop into your classic middle-of-the-order bat, and while the hit tool, like all DSL hitters, will be a work in progress, he may just hit enough to tap into his power and show just enough approach to allow his plus or better speed to come into play on the basepaths. It is less important for us, but he is also a good defensive center fielder, which will buy him more developmental runway.

Angeibel was the 25th prospect in Chris's rankings, in the company of Johenssy Colome (more on him in a second) and Andrew Fischer. Gomez's upside is as high as anyone in this DSL class, and if he can make enough contact at the right angles, he could fly up fantasy rankings.

Johenssy Colome, SS, 17, 6’2”/190, Athletics

Colome is where the athleticism, at least the stolen base upside, starts to possibly take a dip in this group, but he makes up for that with plus-plus bat speed and, as Chris mentioned in his FYPD blurb on him, if the hit tool is just average, you can expect Colome to get to big-time power numbers.

Colome has big-league bloodlines and ample bat speed, which will ultimately be more important for our purposes. If we see Colome get a hold of a few fastballs and take them for a ride, the stock could make an even bigger jump. The hard part will be seeing him hit those homers, but if they happen against teams with streams, we could be in for a big riser.

On the flip side, there are some hit tool concerns here stemming from the swing and the angles at which he can hit batted balls. All this to say, I will be interested to see how he fares and what sort of quality of contact he makes throughout the DSL season.

Victor Valdez, SS, 17, 6’1”/186, Tampa Bay Rays

Valdez will be a fun watch because of his arm and present feel for hitting and power. He is an advanced hitter for his age and may ultimately develop into a perennial 20-plus homer threat, because as Chris said in his report, "He controls the barrel well and already has strong bat speed. The power will play to all field."

If Valdez is going to be a 20-plus homer threat at either third or short, that will be a nice little value in some of your FYPDs where you gambled on the IFA guys. Valdez has a high ceiling, and if the plate skills carry over from the showcase environment to in-game production, there will be some buzz, because Rays prospects do tend to garner attention given how smart the organization is with player development.

Angel Nunez, OF, 17, 5’10”/160, Cincinnati Reds

Angel Nunez is one of the fastest players in this class, and maybe, just maybe, he can get enough power to hit 10 homers a year while stealing 30-plus bases. He is arguably one of the fastest runners in the Reds organization right now and will run wild on his peers, who will not know how to contain his speed on the basepaths. What will be interesting to keep an eye on is whether it is just pure speed or some baserunning savvy, which can be learned. His speed, however, cannot be.

What will ultimately determine the ceiling for Nunez is the power output, and we are not asking for gaudy homer totals, just some signs of life in terms of hitting the ball hard. Power will be the last tool to come with Nunez, but if we see the speed, a ton of contact, and a solid approach, there will be enough to be encouraged by.

At the very least, Nunez will be a fun prospect to monitor because his speed allows him to be a good defensive center fielder and a great base runner. Do not be shocked if he leads the DSL in swipes.

Emanuel Luna, OF, 17, 6’2”/204, St. Louis Cardinals

These last two names are ones I have in some of my deeper leagues and are not really “sleepers” because they got big bonuses. I really like Emanuel Luna. He has the sort of frame you want from a potential middle-of-the-order bat. There is some loft in the swing, and he is not a bad athlete.

There is present power here, and in the video I have seen there is some feel for lifting and putting batted balls in the air. He is not the most dynamic athlete and the swing is not the most fluid, but it should work, and the Cardinals are an organization that can tinker with his swing and maybe get the hit tool to a usable spot.

If that happens, there is a chance for a 25-homer bat with 10-12 stolen bases during his best years. This is a pure watchlist guy unless you are in a deep league, but the upside is there for an exciting middle-of-the-order bat someday.I will be looking to see what the contact looks like, more so the shape of his batted ball events, and if the approach that has been talked about carries over as well. 

Samil Serrano, SS, 17, 6’3”/173, Washington Nationals

Samil Serrano has a beautiful swing that appears geared toward lifting and pulling batted balls when he gets out in front of them. He has the requisite loft to do damage and enough power to one day project as a 20-homer threat. And let's be real, there are worse orgs to roll the dice on a hitting prospect these days than the Nationals.

A swing like his allows for a lot of projection when you factor in just how much room he has to add muscle. He gets rave reviews for his feel for hitting, the way his hands traverse through the zone, and the barrel control he shows, which portends to a good hitter coming down the road. The approach is still TBD, but he will at the very least be a good contact guy this summer unless things massively unravel.

The exciting part is that power is usually the last tool to come around with hitters, and if you can show a baseline level of contact, be a decent athlete, and have the frame to add more muscle, there is a lot to like here. I have Samil in a league where, frankly, too many prospects are rostered as a speculative add. The projection and the present feel for contact are what make me excited about him as a fantasy prospect.