Describing Nieves Izaguirre as coming from a baseball family is an understatement. The 17-year-old Venezuelan shortstop, ranked No. 44 in the 2025 international class by MLB Pipeline, has over 60 relatives who have played professional baseball, including his cousins, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Luisangel Acuña, both familiar names to Phillies fans.
Philadelphia has signed Izaguirre for $800,000 from the club’s available $6.26 million in international pool money. Given his baseball lineage, it’s no surprise that his game intelligence is highly regarded. Despite standing at just 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, scouts have been impressed with his ability to maximize his potential.
Izaguirre is known for his solid offensive approach, preferring line drives over power, and demonstrating excellent plate discipline and knowledge of the strike zone. His athleticism serves him well both at the plate and on the field. With a quick 60-yard dash time of 6.5 seconds, he is expected to be a strong asset on the basepaths. Scouts have also been impressed with his defensive abilities, noting his quick feet and potential to remain at shortstop, even with a build more typical of a second baseman.
Two years ago, the Phillies made a big move in the international market, signing Starlyn Caba with a $3 million bonus. Caba has since developed into a Top 100 prospect and was recently traded to Miami. This trade opens up more room for Izaguirre to grow as a shortstop while Aidan Miller, the Phillies’ top prospect, continues his own development.
International players can sign with Major League teams between January 15 and December 15, provided they turn 16 before signing and are 17 before September 1 of the following year. This means players born between September 1, 2007, and August 31, 2008, are eligible in the current signing period.
Other notable Phillies signees include:
– Elias Marrero, INF (Dominican Republic) – $700,000
– Deivis Velasquez, C (Venezuela) – $620,000
– Geremy Villoria, RHP (Venezuela) – $425,000
– Leonardo Carpio, OF (Venezuela) – $350,000
– Dayber Cruceta, OF (Dominican Republic) – $300,000
Leave a Reply