A bevy of familiar faces from our past trips to the Dominican Republic as well as plenty of new players to see will highlight a very unique return to the country for the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series.
For the first time, the FSS will be in three locations over three days in order to maximize getting to see as many of the top amateur athletes in the DR as we can, with rosters completely different for each day. There will be four teams per location which will include stops at Pley de Rey Baseball Academy, Haciendo Rancho Maravilla and K&J Baseball Academy.
In front of a full rollout of FSS scouts and what’s expected to be another big turnout from big league clubs, we’ll open up play on Wednesday morning in Cibao. We’ll get another look at previous standouts like Yoswar Sanchez, Jhoan Tiburcio and Luis Nunez.
We saw Sanchez in March, where the 2028/29 class outfielder who ran a 7.34 60 yard dash graded out particularly well with his lefty bat, with a future 55 on it thanks to a “loose stroke” and “good rhythm” per our scouts.
We haven’t seen Tiburcio, a 2027-eligible shortstop, since last August. Another lefty bat here with some slick actions on the dirt.
Nunez was at our World Combine presented by DraftLine in December as well as our March event. The 2029-eligible shortstop stood out on the infield more than anything with future grades as high as 60 as a defender with an arm that projects to be above average down the road.
On Thursday in La Penda, we’ll see Israel Rosario, Daury Linares, Rodelin Evangelista, Jeremi Pena, Gerlin Miliano and Radhames Herrera.
Rosario graded out well at our last event in the DR in March, with no fewer than seven future 55’s on a report that showed him as a well-rounded 2029-eligible outfielder with some upside. He put down a 7.03 60 time our second time seeing him in El Naranjo following an initial last August appearance.
Linares is another player we haven’t seen since our return to the island on August. Long, lean frame at six-foot-one and 155 pounds that produces some hard contact from the right side.
This will be our third time getting a look at Evangelista after appearances at the World Combine and our March event. Scouts like his natural bat talent and think he could profile as an extra outfielder as his development progresses.
Pena is a switch-hitting infielder on the smaller side that we first saw two months ago. He graded out with a 60 under barrel control with his report saying, in part, that “from the left side he is very repeatable and handsy” and he “uses the gaps very well.”
Herrera (pictured) is an FSS veteran at this point. The 2028-eligible catcher has impressed at every turn with us, including appearances at signature events like the Caribbean Classic and World Combine, as well as International Combines in August and October. He particularly impressed in December by throwing out a runner from his knees in a clip that went viral shortly thereafter and has a future 65 on him for throwing.
Lastly on Friday, we get a much-anticipated second look at Snow Del Rosario, as well as past standouts like Jinovilis Jeremis, Kendall Lora, Saul Marcano and Adonis Luciano.
Del Rosario’s first opportunity in March was cut a bit short due to rain, but he wowed scouts during batting practice and is intriguing with a six-foot-four, 177-pound frame as a 2028-eligible player. Scouts see projectable power from the right side and his “hands are lively and quick…drove the ball to both gaps with easy carry off the bat…showed ability to repeat stroke with accurate barrel.”
Jeremis was one of the top graded players from the World Combine back in December, and repeated that in our second look at him in March. It’s mostly future 60’s and 65’s in nearly every category for the 2028-eligible shortstop.
Lora is a two-time signature event participant with appearances in the World Combine and Caribbean Classic. The 2028 shortstop out of K&J Academy profiles as a potential utility man who our scouts believe could do some damage with the bat.
Like Lora, Marcano has been seen first in Orlando at the World Combine and then in his native Dominican Republic and has some intrigue to him as a lefty bat outfielder who plays up for his size.
Luciano is also a World Combine and Caribbean Classic alum, but has one of the biggest individual tools we’ll see all week with current 60/future 70 power thanks to a “great, physical body” on the 2027 RF/1B.
About New Balance Future Stars Series
The New Balance Future Stars Series presented by Program 15 is a global platform for amateur baseball development and scouting, powered by a commitment to impact, integrity, and player-focused innovation. Its alumni can be found throughout professional baseball, and its events and partnerships have reshaped how talent is identified, nurtured, and celebrated.
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Since 2003, he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked eight Super Bowls, 12 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,300 games covered in his career.
An avid trading card enthusiast, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son, future No. 1 overall draft pick in 2042, William, their beloved dog, Bailey, and occasionally well-behaved cat, Smokey.
