The World Baseball Classic is more than just a tournament of nations. It’s also a showcase for the best unsigned players in the world to introduce themselves to an international audience and display their talent against top MLB players.
Yu Darvish, Aroldis Chapman, Yoenis Cespedes, Masahiro Tanaka, Yuli Gurriel and Hyun-Jin Ryu all starred in the WBC before going on to become MLB standouts. Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hisashi Iwakuma, Kenta Maeda, Kosuke Fukudome, Alexei Ramirez, Raisel Iglesias, Seung-Hwan Oh and dozens of others signed after the WBC and went onto successful MLB careers.
Here are the top 10 prospects at this year’s event who are currently unaffiliated with an MLB club. Many will make their way to MLB in the future, with some projecting to be future stars like Darvish, Cespedes or Chapman.
1. ROKI SASAKI, RHP, JAPAN
Age: 21
Sasaki became the latest Japanese pitching sensation when he threw a perfect game with 19 strikeouts last season and finished second in NPB in strikeouts as a 20-yearold. He has a fastball that sits 97-100 mph, a devastating splitter, an above-average slider and outstanding command of all his pitches. He projects to be a No. 1 starter in MLB and would be the undisputed first overall pick in this year's draft.
2. YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO, RHP, JAPAN
Age: 24
This story is from the March 2023 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2023 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
NOBODY'S PERFECT
No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday has one flaw in an otherwise airtight profile
ORGANIZATION REPORTS
At nearly every level of his professional career, outfielder Colton Cowser has taken time to acclimate. His major league debut last season was no different.
ORGANIZATION TALENT RANKINGS
For the second consecutive year, the Orioles enter the season with the best farm system in baseball.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN WITH NEW ROSTER LIMITS
No one can fully predict what will happen with the reduced 165-player minor league roster limits, but baseball officials weighed in with predictions for 2024, some of which we heard repeatedly.
NO MORE SLACK IN THE SYSTEM
The in domestic minor leagues creates consternation for farm directors
INTERNATIONAL TREASURES
Why MLB teams value foreign professionals more than ever
HIGH-FLYING BIRDS
Learning from past success and failure in Houston, Mike Elias and his united front office remade the Orioles into winners— and they got there ahead of schedule
ARIZONA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Early promotions of star prospects led to a bit of a down season for the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Even before the Rookie-level Florida Complex League season began, scouts who saw extended spring training gushed over the Yankees' talent, starting with shortstop Roderick Arias and 6-foot7 pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange. Outfielder John Cruz mashed 10 home runs as a 17-year-old.
SALAS COULD BE SPECIAL
When Ethan Salas arrived in the California League on May 30, he immediately displayed talent well beyond his years.
