Mets excited about catcher Yovanny Rodriguez, their top international signing

On Jan. 15, the international signing period opened, and the Mets signed 20 international free agents -- with the top ranked addition being 17-year-old Venezuelan catcher Yovanny Rodriguez for $2.85 million. 

"It was an incredible feeling because I knew that I was fulfilling one of my goals, which was to be a professional baseball player for the New York Mets," Rodriguez told SNY exclusively.

When it comes to international signings, they are often years in the making, as players are scouted well before signing. 

Often, word will get out months before the signing period begins as to where prospects are landing, so there are rarely surprises in that regard.

The Mets built a relationship with Rodriguez and his family throughout the process, and he was able to speak to Francisco Alvarez on a few occasions, getting advice on the road he is about to take.   

"They always made me feel confident and like family from the beginning," Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez was ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the class by MLB Pipeline, with praise heaped on his leadership, maturity, and work ethic. MLB Pipeline also believes he has the potential to be the best player signed in this year’s international class. 

In talking to scouts who saw Rodriguez in Venezuela, one thing that stood out was that every time they went to see him, he was not the same player as the previous time they saw him. He was either bigger and stronger, or he had improved some facet of his game.

The most impressive thing about Rodriguez was how advanced of a defensive catcher he was for a 17-year-old. 

One Mets scout told me that he has a 70-grade arm on a 20-80 scale, and that in workouts he would have pop times throwing down to second base that are at the level of J.T. Realmuto, who is among the best at throwing out base runners at the major league level. 

He also shows natural receiving ability, which will need to continue to develop as he learns to catch pitching staffs full of different types of pitchers from different backgrounds. 

Rodriguez embraces the leadership required for the position:

"My favorite part of being a catcher is knowing I must have the responsibility of leading the game and making an impact during every play on the field," he told SNY.

Offensively, the Mets were impressed with his ability to control the barrel of the bat and consistently produce hard contact in workouts and showcases. The barrel control leads scouts to project him to be able to make consistent contact at the next level. 

As Rodriguez continues to physically mature and get stronger, there is belief that he will also be able to hit for power.

Although we are years away from Rodriguez potentially making an impact in the upper-minors, let alone the major leagues, he has the chance to be a complete player -- and he's ranked at No. 15 in my Top 30 prospects list for the organization. 

The range of outcomes are wide, but the Mets' international scouting staff is as excited about this signing as they have been about any signing in the last few years.