The Intriguing Rookie League Bats Off To Hot Starts
- Carlos Peña
- 4 hours ago
- 7 min read
When examining the lower levels of the minor league system, the focus is straightforward: who has the skills necessary to succeed at the next level after leaving the Dominican Republic and can perform well at the Complex League.
The early returns on the lower level have provided an exciting mix of contact, patience and power hitting, that we haven't seen in the last two seasons.
We are seeing a really intriguing crop of bats at both the Florida Complex League (FCL) and the Dominican Summer League (DSL) who look primed to become solid full season prospects. If these kids keep developing, the Yankees are going to have no shortage of high-upside bats filling out the Tampa and Hudson Valley rosters over the next couple of years.
Let’s break down how these groups are performing level by level.
Beginning at the Florida Complex League, where the top of the Yankees FCL bats regularly rolls out a lineup where the top five players are sporting .900+ OPS numbers.
Richard Matic - 18 | 3B/1B
.319/.453 - .915 OPS | 12 XBH - 2 HR, 18 RBI | 17.6BB% - 16.9% | 134 wRC+
Leading off the FCL breakdown is the 18-year-old Dominican 3B, Richard Matic. Matic arrived stateside with a lot of eyes on him this summer, as fans were highly optimistic to see if his tools would continue translate stateside after an impressive showing in the DSL.
So far, he’s been absolutely elite. Operating as a focal point of the complex lineup, Matic is hitting a brilliant .319 with a .915 OPS. What really stands out about his stateside transition is the sheer maturity of his approach, he’s flashing an exceptional 17.6% walk rate and is walking more than he's striking out. For a teenager getting his first taste of US pitching, that level of plate discipline combined with concrete extra-base production makes him a very exciting bat to watch develop.
Wilberson De Pena - 19 | OF
.349/.401 - 1.091 OPS | 21 XBH - 11 HR, 42 RBI | 13/18 SB | 7 BB% - 18.3 K% | 152 wRC+
Wilberson arrived to the Yankees, via the trade of Oswaldo Peraza to the Angels and if we're being completely honest, De Peña wasn't impressive when he arrived. He hit .143 and didn't show much power, mustering 2 extra basehits. The shock of the trade could have affected his game, as can sometimes be the case with young international players. With that season behind him, De Peña looks like a completely different player, a premiere power hitter. He came into the season hitting six homeruns in 68 games, but this season he's hit 11 in 31 games. He was named the FCL's Player of the Month for May after putting up MLB The Show type numbers, and he's fresh off a two homer game, which he's done twice this season.
The Yankees identified a gem here and could see De Peña in Single A at some point this season.
Leni Doñe - 18 | 3B/2B
.322/.418 - .918 OPS | 13 XBH - 3 HR, 25 RBI | 17/21 SB | 11.3 BB% - 19.9 K% | 126 wRC+
Doñe arrived stateside after a quietly solid 2025 season in the DSL that didn't generate much fanfare outside of prospect hounds. Fast forward to this summer in the FCL, and his bat is making some serious noise. The 19-year-old third baseman has taken a big step forward in his overall offensive profile, combining an elite slash line with legitimate power. He’s flashing an advanced approach at the plate with a encouraging 11.3% walk rate, keeping his strikeouts under control, and proving to be a menace on the bases by swiping 17 bags. Doñe is transforming from an under-the-radar name into one of the most well-rounded, high-upside infield prospects down at the complex.
Dexters Peralta - 18 | SS
.248/.385 - .927 OPS | 13 XBH - 8 HR, 28 RBI | 6/7 SB | 15.4 BB% - 33.8 K% | 120 wRC+
Dexters' putting together an incredibly intriguing summer at the FCL. The 18-year-old switch hitting shortstop is putting on an absolute display of power. Peralta has matched his 15 extra-base hits with 8 home runs that really highlight his explosive bat. Peralta is still very raw, and there is some swing-and-miss he needs to continue to develop, as his strikeout rate is hovering just under of 34%. Peralta isnt just a feast or famine slugger, as he compensates for it beautifully by remaining hyper-selective, working deep counts to anchor a stellar 14.9% walk rate. When you couple that high-damage profile at the plate with efficiency on the basepaths (6-for-6 in stolen bases) and a tall, projectable 6-foot-2 frame at a premium defensive position, you get a high-ceiling prospect who is forcing to see what Baseball America was talking about 2 years ago, when they tagged him as a breakout candidate.
Over in the Domincan Sumer League teams, the organization welcomed their IFAs and several 2025 IFAs continued to work their way off the island.
We'll start with last season's Top 10 IFA, Mani Cedeño.
Mani Cedeño - 17 | SS
.295/.421 - .989 OPS | 8 XBH - 2 HR, 16 RBI | 17.5 BB% - 22.8 K% | 119 wRC+
As expected, Cedeño returned to the DSL, after playing all of last season as a 16 year old, and experiencing the growing pains that come with the first taste of organized baseball.
This season, that early experience is paying off. The biggest takeaway here is the dramatic uptick in his contact traits; he has actively cut down his strikeout rate by more than 12%, down to a much more controlled 22.8%, making a alot of consistent, hard contact. The game is clearly slowing down for him, and as he grows, gains expierence, stops chasing and starts trusting his quick hands, that elite raw bat speed will translating into more game power.
Stiven Marinez - 18 | SS
.378/.472 - 1.205 OPS | 8 XBH - 3 HR, 17 RBI | 5/5 SB | 15.1 BB% - 15.1 K% | 164 wRC+
Mariñez returned to the DSL, but not for lack of success.
Stiven is putting together one of the most explosive breakout campaigns in not just the organization, but in the Dominican Summer League. Mariñez put up a good debut where he showed solid contact, and good command of the strike zone. He didn't show much pop as he mustered just one home run and 11 extra basehits lover 205 plate appearances. That was then, this is now. This season he's already upto 3 HRs, with 8 extrabase hits and oozing confidence at the plate.
Marinez has gotten a little more aggressive early in counts, and the production has absolutely skyrocketed as a result. In roughly a quarter of the playing time he saw last season, he’s already collected 8 extra-base hits and blasted 3 home runs. What makes the output more exciting is that while he's hitting for more power, he didn't sacrifice any discipline to get it. He has significantly trimmed down his strikeout rate by 5%, and is drawing a walk for every single strikeout he takes at a perfect 15.1% clip. When you combine a 1.205 OPS with perfect efficiency on the run (5-for-5 in stolen bases), you are looking at a premium athlete who is quickly forcing his way onto the next level.
Yostin Peña - 18 | OF
.340/.407 - 1.127 OPS | 10 XBH - 4 HR, 21 RBI | 2/2 SB | 8.5 BB% - 18.6 K% | 135 wRC+
The 18-year-old outfielder is making a big statement in his official rookie season down in the DSL. If you recall, Peña was a highly intriguing target who actually had a contract with the Cardinals fall through due to some technicalities before the Yankees swooped in to sign him.
It’s early, but Peña is hitting like a 7 figure bonus baby. Standing an imposing 6-foot-4, he's seems to have already unlocked his in-game power right out of the gate, racking up 10 extra-base hits and blasting 4 home runs to anchor an impressive 1.127 OPS. He's showing a remarkably mature feel for finding the barrel for a rookie, while keeping his strikeouts down to 18.6% while punishing mistake pitches all over the field. The physical upside here is massive, and he is quickly establishing himself as one of the most exciting debutants to watch in the lower system.
Pena is currently the DSL leader in RBI's with 21.
Juan Torres - 18 | 2B
.400/.424 - 1.151 OPS | 11 XBH - 3 HR, 16 RBI | 7/8 SB | 1.7 BB% - 5.1 K% | 148 wRC+
Torres was an absolute machine last summer, leading the entire Yankees organization in batting average with a ridiculous .359 mark.
If you thought that was a fluke, he has come out this season and somehow raised the bar even higher, hitting a flat .400 with a massive 1.151 OPS. The most eye-popping development here is that he has sliced his already-low strikeout rate from 11.8% all the way down to a miniscule 5.1%. He simply refuses to swing and miss. However, if there is one clear developmental hurdle left to clear, it’s his walk rate, which currently sits at a tiny 1.7%.
It’s a very fine line for the coaching staff; you don’t want to completely strip away the natural aggressiveness that lets him barrel up everything he sees, but he has to realize that as he advances, better pitching staffs will start pitching around him. Learning to take his walks will be the final key to unlocking an elite, complete offensive profile.
Torres currently leads the DSL in Hits, with 22.
IsaÃas Castillo - 18 | OF
.358/.443 - 1.367 OPS | 15 XBH - 7 HR, 18 RBI | 3/3 SB | 13.1 BB% - 29.5 K% | 178 wRC+
The 18-year-old outfielder is doing things in the DSL right now that simply defy belief, putting up a big time 1.367 OPS. To put his current tear into context, Castillo hit just 1 home run and logged 8 extra-base hits all of last season. This year? Just two weeks into the schedule, he’s already blasted 7 home runs and racked up 15 extra-base hits.
The power growth is absolutely explosive, and he anchors that damage with a solid 13.1% walk rate that shows he knows exactly which pitches to punish. Now, there is a clear trade-off happening here—his strikeout rate is hovering at 29.5%, which is something the developmental staff will want to refine as he moves along. But when you are carrying a 178 wRC+, matching last year's production in the blink of an eye, you can absolutely live with some swing-and-miss. He is quickly asserting himself as one of the premier breakout bats down in the DSL
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There are a few other names that could have made this list, and seem promising: Alessandro Rodriguez, Juan Martinez and Poly Ojeda (all catchers) and Jhosneyker Colina to name a few. We'll check back in a few weeks and see where some of these prospects are in their season.
Every Prospect. Every Level. Every Day.