The Giants have been busy on the international market in recent years. San Francisco's farm system is on the rise in large part by signing prospects like Marco Luciano, Alexander Canario, Luis Matos and Luis Toribio.
All four players are ranked among the Giants' top-10 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, and all were signed on the international market. It looks like San Francisco has its eyes on another young international prospect, too.
Jesse Sanchez, MLB.com's lead international reporter, released his top-30 international prospects on Tuesday night, and the Giants are named as favorites to sign one player: Diego Velazquez, who comes in at No. 21.
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Velazquez is a 16-year-old shortstop from Venezuela. He already is listed at 6-feet tall and 160 pounds. Sanchez says Velazquez could be a plus-defender down the road.
"He consistently shows his soft hands, great footwork and instincts in games," Sanchez said of Velazquez. "He’s athletic with a live body, but he also plays under control and rarely makes a physical mistake. He also has a high baseball IQ and is proficient at making the correct play.
"Evaluators also love his passion for the game and makeup."
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The young shortstop is a switch-hitter and known to make consistent contact at the plate. He also has a strong sense of the strike zone.
Velazquez trains with Ronny Cedeno in Venezuela. Cedeno, now 37 years old, spent 10 years as a major league infielder.
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