It didn’t take long for news to spread that the Philadelphia Phillies have signed one of the most sought out top international prospects of 2023. Jesus Starlyn Caba, a standout shortstop from the Dominican Republic, snatched a $3 million deal with the Phils according to Jesse Sanchez at MLB.com.
Caba is the Number 13-ranked prospect on the Top 50 International list, and has drawn comparisons to stud Francisco Lindor. In fact, Phillies Scout Sal Agostinelli says he’s the best defensive shortstop he’s seen in a long time.
“He’s really good, defensively. He’s as good as it gets, in my opinion. I think the only thing that would stop him from playing in the big leagues, defensively, right now, is that he’d make some errors — just because he’d be in awe. Like the emotion of it. But he’s going to be there. I’ve been doing this for 27 years, and I’ve never seen a shortstop move around like he did. I really haven’t.” (Courtesy of the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Alex Coffey).
While he won’t see the major leagues for a few years, the 17-year-old will play for the Phillies’ Dominican Summer League for his first season after reporting to the Phillies’ academy next week, where he will endure a high-performance training camp.
So what does this mean for the future? It sure is looking bright considering we have newly signed prospects like Wen-Hui Pan, an ace from Taiwan, along with an already well-developed farm system ready to take on the big leagues.
If the stars align, it’s only going up from here.
