Yasel Antuna

The top four fantasy prospects in baseball were all international signees. For opportunistic owners looking to snag the next high-end Latin American prospect before he pops, Antuna is as good a bet as anyone. A projectable 6-foot, 170-pound wide-shouldered 18-year-old, Antuna won’t get a lot of love on real life lists because of his shaky shortstop defense (many expect him to move to third base full time), but his bat has a chance to carry the day at any position. Unlike most teenagers who project to grow into plus power, the switch-hitting Antuna already has an excellent feel for the strike zone, walking at an 11.6 percent clip while striking out just 14.6 percent of the time as one of the youngest position players in the Gulf Coast League. He checks all the boxes we look for in a rookie-level prospect with the potential for a plus hit tool and plus power. That doesn’t mean he will make good on that promise, but in competitive dynasty leagues, the time to roster him is now.

The Nationals fell in love with Antuna over the summer, eventually giving the 16-year-old switch-hitter a $3.9 million signing bonus in July (the most they've ever given a teenage international), and it's easy to see why. He's a potential five-tool shortstop, and while his bat speed and quick-twitch athleticism may not be elite, he's got top-end speed and has shown more polish and power at the plate than one might expect from a teenage Dominican middle infielder. As with any prospect this far from the majors and with this much physical development ahead of him, his career could take a wide range of paths. Some scouts doubt his ability to stick at shortstop and see an eventual move to third base ahead as Antuna matures, while others aren't sure if he will be able to hit for average. There's no doubting his ceiling though, and if everything comes together for him, Antuna could be among the next generation of shortstops getting taken in the early rounds of fantasy drafts. Just don't expect that to happen until sometime next decade.