North Shore Nine

The international signing period is set to begin on January 15th, but teams often have deals in place prior and per Baseball America, the Pirates are poised to land a pair of Top 50 prospects.

#12 Brailyn Brazoban, OF, Dominican Republic

Baseball America provides a brief scouting report on Brazoban:

Brazoban stands out for his size and tools with a chance to play a premium position. He has a lean, athletic frame with a mix of power and speed. He’s a plus runner who drives the ball well from the left side of the plate. Brazoban showing big power in batting practice with a chance to develop plus raw power, though against live pitching, some scouts thought he would have a power-over-hit profile. His speed gives him a chance to stick in center field if he doesn’t outgrow the position, with a strong arm as well. 

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2024-mlb-international-prospects-top-50-bonus-board/

Perfect Game has Brazoban ranked as the #3 prospect out of the Dominican Republic and has this to say about him:

Bralyn Brazoban is a 2023 OF/ with a 6-1 155 lb. frame from Santo Domingo Norte, SD who attends . Lean athletic frame with long limns and slender hips. Ran a 6.98 in the sixty yard dash. A primary outfielder, works through the ball well with balanced footwork. Compact arm action with an over the top release and gets through the ball well to create true flight. Accuracy to the bases and repeats his approach and funnel. Extremely athletic and an outstanding student.

https://www.perfectgame.org/Players/Playerprofile.aspx?ID=1062684

Brazoban ranks as the #34 prospect on MLB Pipeline and here is their report:

The athletic Brazoban is a big-bodied center fielder with potential. Overall, he’s a twitchy athlete with emerging tools, including speed, and a developing bat.

Offensively, Brazoban displays solid hitting ability and makes consistent hard contact. Scouts note he can drive the ball line-to-line with authority and flashes of home run power. He shows quick hands and his bat flies through the zone. The teen has displayed advanced plate vision and manages the strike zone well. He doesn’t strike out often, always puts the ball in play and has good extension on his swings.

Brazoban is a solid runner who does not have any trouble running from first to third. He has a tall, lean, athletic build with long limbs and plenty of room for growth. The teen trains with Ysbel Medina in the Dominican Republic.

https://www.mlb.com/prospects/2024/international/bralyn-brazoban-815923

I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I can give my thoughts on a 17 year old amateur, but I’ll just say that based on the state of the Pirates’ current farm system, “Give me all the OF talent you can find.”

#34 Abdiel Feliz, SS, Dominican Republic

I can’t find any video on Feliz, but here is BA’s brief report:

Feliz made a name for himself with his defense at shortstop. He’s a quick-twitch athlete whose hands and feet work well with the ability to make the flashy, highlight reel play and the arm strength for the position. Feliz is a switch-hitter who has solid bat-to-ball skills for his age, though with a slap approach that may limit his power potential. 

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2024-mlb-international-prospects-top-50-bonus-board/

MLB Pipeline ranks Feliz as the #50 International Prospect in this class and has this to say about him:

Feliz is an athletic shortstop with a well-rounded profile. He projects to have average tools across the board and has the ability to stay at the position. He is a defense-first prospect and arguably one of the few pure shortstops in the class. His offense is also emerging. 

The switch-hitter projects to hit enough and feature enough power to play every day. He already displays a good approach at the plate with bat speed. The teen can drive the ball into the gaps and he could develop some pop, even home run power, as he adds strength and his body develops.

Feliz is agile with solid footwork and skillful hands. Those traits should help him on both sides of the ball, especially after he receives daily instruction from the club that signs him.  Feliz trains in the Dominican Republic with Bartolo Colon, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.

https://www.mlb.com/prospects/2024/international/abdiel-feliz-815925