The seven Venezuelans who are among the top 100 MLB prospects

• Three receivers, three infielders and a gardener are the Venezuelans

Venezuela is a country that exports a high number of prospects and baseball players who, thanks to their talent, generate an impact in the Major Leagues. Currently, seven Creole players are located within the list of the 100 best prospects in Major League Baseball (MLB).

During the 2022 season, nine Venezuelan baseball players have debuted: Juan Yepez, Francisco Morales, Rene Pinto, Gabriel Arias, Simon Muzzioti, José Herrera, José Azocar, Diego Castillo and Robert Suárez.

From the list of the best Creole prospects, only Gabriel Arias has debuted in 2022 with the Cleveland Guardians, but he returned to the Minor Leagues after suffering an injury to his right hand.

As the season progresses, more Venezuelan players will reach the MLB and the number of Creoles in the Major Leagues will continue to increase.

Venezuelan players in the Major Leagues

Venezuela is in second position behind the Dominican Republic with the most players in the Major Leagues. 70 Creole players started on the initial roster for the 2022 season. The Dominican Republic leads the list with 99 baseball players.

The seven Venezuelan prospects

1. Gabriel Moreno

Gabriel Moreno is the number one prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays organization and seven in the MLB. The recipient was born on February 14, 2000 in Barquisimeto, Lara state.

The 22-year-old from Lara signed for $25,000 in 2016. Since then, he has dazzled in the Minor Leagues with his bat and this year he is in Triple A class.

In 2021, he finished with a .367 batting average, 8 home runs, 45 RBI and 10 doubles in 37 games. This year in Triple A he has 30 hits, 7 doubles, 19 RBIs and an average of .323.

In the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP), Moreno has played two seasons with the Cardenales de Lara. In the 2021-2022 campaign, he had 17 hits, a home run, a triple and averaged .279 in 18 games.

2. Francis Alvarez

Francisco Álvarez is a catcher for the New York Mets and is the number one prospect on his team and the 10th in the MLB. Álvarez signed in 2018 with the New York team for 2.7 million dollars.

Alvarez was born in Guatire, Miranda state, on November 19, 2001. The 21-year-old is part of the Navegantes del Magallanes, but has not debuted in the LVBP.

In 2021 in the Minor Leagues, he played 99 games with 89 hits, 18 doubles, 24 home runs and a .272 average.

During the current campaign he is with the Double A team and his offensive production has decreased a bit. The Venezuelan catcher has 26 hits, 4 homers, 19 RBI with an average of .248.

3. Diego Cartaya

Diego Cartaya is a catcher in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. The Venezuelan is the first prospect of his team and number 27 in the MLB.

Cartaya was born on September 7, 2001 in Maracay, Aragua state. The young Creole signed for 2.5 million dollars in 2019.

In 2021 he played in Class A with the Rancho Cucamonga team in which he played 31 games with 34 hits, 10 home runs and 31 RBI. During the 2022 season he has a .255 batting average with 26 hits and 8 home runs.

Cartaya is a baseball player for the Tiburones de La Guaira, but has not debuted in the LVBP.

4. Oswald Peraza

Venezuela has always exported high-level shortstops such as Omar Vizquel, David Concepción, Miguel Rojas, Alcides Escobar, among others. Now Oswald Peraza shines with the New York Yankees and is ranked 58th among the Major League prospects.

In 2016, the infielder Venezuelan signed with the New York team for 150,000 dollars. Peraza was born on June 15, 2001 in Barquisimeto, Lara state.

Last season he dazzled in the Minor Leagues with a .297 batting average, 138 hits, 26 doubles, 18 home runs in 115 games.

In Venezuelan baseball, he played the 2020-2021 season with the Cardenales de Lara in just six games. In February, he was traded to the Leones del Caracas for shortstop Andrés Giménez.

5. louis matos

Outfielder Luis Matos is a player for the San Francisco Giants and is in 61st place in the ranking of Major League prospects. Matos was born in Valera, Trujillo state, on January 28, 2022.

The young Creole signed in 2019 for $725,000. That year he played 60 games with 7 home runs and 48 RBIs with an average of .367. In 2021 he hit 15 homers, 86 RBIs, and stole 26 bases, along with a .313 average.

Matos is a member of the Tiburones de La Guaira team, but has not made his debut in Venezuelan baseball.

6. Gabriel Arias

The Venezuelan Gabriel Arias is the third prospect of the Cleveland Guardians and one of the nine criollos who has made his debut this year in the Majors.

Árias came to Cleveland from the Padres in the Mike Clevinger trade and became one of the franchise’s most promising players.

The Creole second baseman was born on February 27, 2000 in La Victoria, Aragua state. In this 2022 he hit his first hit in the Majors although he was later dropped to the Minor Leagues.

Last season he was in Triple A where he hit a .284 average, 13 home runs and 55 RBIs in 115 total games.

The infielder He played the 2018-2019 campaign of the LVBP with the Tiburones de La Guaira. In 24 games, he had 15 hits and stole 2 bases.

7. Brayan Rocchio

Brayan Rocchio is the number four prospect for the Cleveland Guardians and is ranked No. 81 in the MLB. Rocchio was born on January 13, 2001 in Caracas.

The 21-year-old from Caracas played 108 games with 122 hits, 15 home runs and 63 RBI. This year he adds 26 challenges with a batting average of .237 with three home runs and 13 RBIs.

In the LVBP, he played the 2021-2022 season with the Tiburones de La Guaira and impressed with 27 hits, 6 doubles, 2 home runs and a .391 average.

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