On Wednesday, Baseball America’s Ben Badler identified 40 standout hitting prospects from the 2025 international signing class who played in the Dominican Summer League this season.
Of the 40 players mentioned, four young members of the Red Sox organization made the cut. Hector Ramos was given an “up-arrow signing” tag, while Harold Rivas, Dorian Soto, and Jostin Oganso were labeled as “prospects to watch” that could be breakout candidates moving forward.
Ramos, who turned 18 last month, signed with Boston for $500,000 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in January. The switch-hitting infielder spent his first professional season with DSL Red Sox Blue, batting .254/.384/.443 with seven doubles, two triples, four home runs, 25 RBIs, 33 runs scored, one stolen base, 23 walks, and 32 strikeouts in 36 games (151 plate appearances). He was named a DSL All-Star in July, but got into just two games after the calendar flipped to August due to a left hip strain that ultimately resulted in him being placed on the injured list.
Defensively, Ramos saw the lion’s share of his playing time this year come at shortstop. The 6-foot-1, 175-pounder logged 211 innings at the position, committing seven errors in 113 chances. He also started one game at second base and seven games at DH.
Ramos, Badler wrote, “does a lot of things well.” He has “a knack for being on time at the plate to make contact at a high clip and shows a sound sense of the strike zone for his age.” He also “has the actions, body control, and above-average arm strength that give him a good chance to stick at shortstop.”
Rivas, 17, signed with Boston for $950,000 as an international free agent out of Venezuela in January. Like Ramos, the right-handed hitting outfielder spent his first professional season with DSL Red Sox Blue, slashing .258/.393/.384 with six doubles, four triples, two home runs, 20 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 35 walks, and 35 strikeouts in 46 games (196 plate appearances). He also went 3-for-15 (.200) with two RBIs, two runs scored, one stolen base, two walks, and five strikeouts in four postseason contests.
On the other side of the ball, Rivas was used almost exclusively as a center fielder this year. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder logged 315 innings in center, committing four errors and recording seven outfield assists in 103 defensive chances. He also made four starts at DH.
Rivas, Badler wrote, “registered consistent quality at-bats without much swing-and-miss and has the space on his frame to grow into more power.” Elsewhere, he possesses “plus speed, a plus arm, and the mix of first-step quickness, instincts, and range that make him a potentially plus to plus-plus defender” in the outfield.
Soto, 17, signed with Boston for a club-high $1.4 million as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in January. The switch-hitting infielder split his first professional season between DSL Red Sox Red and DSL Red Sox Blue, batting .307/.362/.428 with 10 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 18 RBIs, 27 runs scored, one stolen base, 16 walks, and 28 strikeouts in 47 games (186 plate appearances). He was held out of July’s DSL All-Star Game due to a wrist injury that likely played a role in his quiet performance down the stretch thereafter, though he did take the field for postseason action in August.
Defensively, Soto saw playing time at every infield position besides first base this year. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder logged 230 2/3 innings at shortstop, 42 2/3 innings at third base, and two innings at second base, committing nine errors in 133 total chances. He also made seven starts at DH.
Possessing “significant” physical upside, Soto “can whistle the barrel through the zone with impressive bat speed, giving him a chance to grow into big power,” Badler wrote. “He is a switch-hitter who uses his hands well and is able to keep his long limbs under control to limit his swing-and-miss, though he is also an aggressive hitter who will have to reign [sic] his approach and make better swing decisions.”
Ogando, who turns 18 in December, signed with Boston for $60,000 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in May. Like Ramos and Rivas, the right-handed hitting outfielder spent his first professional season with DSL Red Sox Blue, slashing .282/.433/.427 with three doubles, four home runs, 25 RBIs, 15 runs scored, one stolen base, 24 walks, and 26 strikeouts in 42 games (134 plate appearances). He also went 2-for-14 (.143) with another homer in the postseason.
On the other side of the ball, Ogando saw playing time at first base and both outfield corners this year. The hulking 6-foot-3, 215-pounder logged 237 1/3 innings at first, 18 innings in left (where he recorded one outfield assist), and nine innings in right, committing three errors in 213 total defensive chances. He also made two starts at DH.
Ogando, Badler wrote, was “one of the more impressive power bats” in the Dominican Summer League this season, “producing exit velocities up to 114 mph as a 17-year-old.” Additionally, while Ogando “doesn’t swing and miss much for a player with his power, the lack of loft in his swing limits his game power. When he does get off his “A” swing, he can obliterate baseballs.”
Organizationally, Soto and Ramos are currently regarded by Baseball America as the Nos. 10 and 19 prospects in Boston’s farm system, respectively. Both Rivas and Ogando are unranked, though that could change at some point next year.
With that being said, all four of Ramos, Rivas, Soto, and Ogando are in line to take the next step and make their stateside debuts in the Florida Complex League in 2026.
(Picture of Fenway Park: Paul Rutherford/Getty Images)
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