Outfielder Cris Rodriguez was one of the top international prospects on the market when he signed with the Detroit Tigers in January 2025.
Needless to say, he’ll draw plenty of attention as he brings his skills stateside this season.
A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the 18-year-old Rodriguez was identified by Baseball America on Friday as one of 10 prospects to watch in the Florida Complex League for 2026.
“Rodriguez can hit the dickens out of a baseball,” Baseball America senior editor Josh Norris writes. “Now, he needs to hit them more often. He has 70-grade juice and slammed 10 home runs in his pro debut, but there are kinks in his swing that will need to be worked out to help him get to that thump more often as he moves to the U.S.
“His athleticism and long strides give him a chance to stick in center field — he should be at least an average runner, as well — but his offensive skill set would give him a chance if he has to move to a corner, too.”
After signing with the Tigers for $3,197,500 — a franchise record bonus for an international free agent — the 6-foot-3, 203-pound Rodriguez spent the 2025 season in the Dominican Summer League, where he clubbed 10 home runs in 172 at-bats, talling 39 RBIs, and compiling a .308 average and .904 OPS. Of his 53 hits, 23 went for extra bases. He added 10 stolen bases to boot.
Rodriguez is among the Tigers’ top prospects, ranked No. 8 by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline.
The Florida Complex League opens its season Saturday. It is comprised of 15 teams from the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals, and Tigers.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers’ Cris Rodriguez among 10 ‘prospects to watch’ in FCL: Baseball America
Reporting by Daren Tomhave, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
