- - Dodgers sign top international prospects: Check out list of signings

Andrés Soto, USA TODAYJanuary 16, 2026 at 6:55 AM

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A year ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers went all-in on Japanese flamethrower Roki Sasaki in the international free agency period. That ambition worked out, with Sasaki emerging as one of the Dodgers' go-to arms out of the bullpen en route to a second straight World Series championship. But the caveat was that L.A. missed out on several other international targets in 2025.

This year, however, the Dodgers are back to their usual selves, adding to their top-ranked farm system and spreading out their $6,679,200 in pool money across 22 prospects − headlined by Dominican outfielder Rubel Arias and shortstop Ezequiel Melbourne.

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Arias − a 6-foot-4 switch-hitter who has a big leg kick and smooth swing with high bat speed − is the No. 46 prospect according to Baseball America. He trains at the Jaime Ramos Baseball Academy, where current Dodgers top 10 prospect Emil Morales cut his teeth. Many scouts praise his feel for hitting and believe he'll end up having a hit-over-power profile, though there should still be room for his power to develop as he grows into his lean frame. Baseball America projects him to settle into a corner outfield spot with an average arm.

Melbourne is another tall and slender switch-hitting prospect who moves well at shortstop and has a plus-arm, per BA. He gets more contact from the left side of the plate and has more power hitting right-handed, though he's contact-over-power overall and is a "selective hitter who rarely chases," per MLB Pipeline.

Ranked 67th by BA, MLB Pipeline has him as their No. 29 international prospect in 2026, making him their headliner for the Dodgers class over Arias. Melbourne is also one of the younger prospects in the class; he doesn't turn 17 until June.

The Dodgers rounded out their top 100 prospects with a pair of Dominican shortstops in Ariel Reynoso (No. 86) and Jose Victorino (No. 93). They also added 17-year-old pitcher Tom Apfelbaum from Germany, a 6-foot-4 lefty with a fastball that currently sits in the low-90s and has touched 94 mph. He pitched for his country in the U-18 World Cup last year and is regarded as one of the best prospects out of Europe.

Dodgers' 2026 international signing class

The Dodgers' 2026 international class is led by 11 players out of Venezuela, four from the Dominican Republic and includes prospects from Mexico, Cuba, Panama, Colombia, Curacao, Germany and Russia. Here is the full list of signings:

Oliver Chapman, catcher, Venezuela

Aaron Guzman, catcher, Venezuela

Haram Hernandez, catcher, Venezuela

Ricardo Pulles, catcher, Russia

Roberto Saucedo, catcher, Mexico

Ezequiel Melbourne, shortstop, Dominican Republic

Jose Victorino, shortstop, Dominican Republic

Willy Bergola, infielder, Venezuela

Adrian Del Cid, infielder, Panama

Ariel Reynoso, infielder, Dominican Republic

Rubel Arias, outfielder, Dominican Republic

Fran-Jean Haseth, outfielder, Curacao

Helvin Mendoza, outfielder, Venezuela

Jose Requena, outfielder, Venezuela

Jeibert Rondon, outfielder, Venezuela

Anderson Carias, right-handed pitcher, Venezuela

Diego Paez, right-handed pitcher, Venezuela

Luis Ricart, right-handed pitcher, Cuba

Kenry Alvear, left-handed pitcher, Colombia

Tom Apfelbaum, left-handed pitcher, Germany

Miguel Herrera, left-handed pitcher, Venezuela

Victor Tovar, left-handed pitcher, Venezuela

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Thirty miles down the 5 Freeway, the Los Angeles Angels opened the international signing period with a splash, landing MLB Pipeline's No. 9-ranked prospect in Dominican shortstop Yeison Horton for $2 million.

According to Baseball America, Horton stood out at an early age for his left-handed hitting, speed, defense and arm strength. He hasn't grown much since then, standing 5-foot-10, but scouts are still high on his athleticism and offensive upside.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Los Angeles Dodgers, Angels sign top international prospects

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