3 intriguing shortstop prospects headline Brewers' 2025 international free agent class

One of the quirkiest parts of the MLB offseason is the international free agent signing period, which opens tomorrow. It's a strange process because MLB teams have already agreed to handshake deals with the prospects that they will formally sign beginning tomorrow, but the official signing has to wait until the player is of a certain age. According to MLB.com, players must be 16 years old and turn 17 before September 1 of the year that they officially agree to a contract with their respective MLB teams.

Long story short, the Milwaukee Brewers already know who they will sign to contracts when the international free agent signing period officially opens tomorrow. While it might be a quirky process, the Brewers have had a ton of success in international free agency in the recent past. Not only have they agreed to contracts with players like Jackson Chourio and Jesús Made by way of this process, but their farm system is currently chock-full of international prospects, which has led Milwaukee to having one of the strongest minor league systems in all of baseball.

The Brewers' success in this area has caught the attention of other front offices as well. Jonathan Mayo's recent MLB executives poll included the question "Who does the best on the international market?" and receiving 37.2% of the votes were the Brewers. Second place went to the Los Angeles Dodgers at 18.6%, showing a clear divide between Milwaukee and the rest of MLB in the eyes of league executives. The full results of Mayo's executives poll are free to read over at MLB.com and linked below.

Execs poll: Top system? Best at drafting? Best at trading for prospects?

Given the success that the Brewers have had in recent history, fans should be on the lookout for the next player that will quickly become a household name like Chourio and Made. It wasn't long ago that both were in the same spot as the number of players who will officially agree to contracts with the Brewers tomorrow. Atop the list is a group of shortstop prospects who have received high marks from both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America, two of the leaders in the world of prospect evaluation.

Diego Frontado, Ricki Moneys, and Jose Rodriguez headline the Milwaukee Brewers' exciting group of 2026 international free agents

All three of Diego Frontado, Ricky Money, and Jose Rodriguez are listed as shortstops and appear on both MLB Pipeline's list of the Top 50 2026 international prospects and Baseball America's list of the Top 100. However, the two publications disagree on the order in which they belong on their rankings lists. Let's take a closer look at each prospect.

SS Diego Frontado

17-year-old Diego Frontado is the 24th ranked international prospect on both MLB Pipeline and BA's rankings. Both publications take note his advanced hit tool, a result of his quick hands through the zone and advanced approach at the plate. Currently listed at 6'0", 178 lbs, evaluators are encouraged that more power will come as Frontado fills out his frame, but his mechanics offer a high floor regardless. The two publications disagree on his defensive abilities, with BA believing he's more of an average shortstop and above-average second baseman, whereas MLB Pipeline is bullish on his ability to remain at shortstop throughout his professional career.

SS Ricki Moneys

MLB Pipeline is more encouraged by the 17-year-old Moneys' profile than BA, ranking him at No. 20 on their rankings list whereas BA awarded him the 39th spot on their list. Regardless, it's clear that the 6'0", 180 lb Moneys' best trait is his power, as noted by both publications. He has a ton of bat speed, leading evaluators to believe that even more power will be added to his game as he progresses. Disagreement exists in regard to his arm strength, but the general consensus is that he will move away from shortstop as he progresses through the minor leagues.

SS Jose Rodriguez

Rodriguez checks in at 28th on BA's rankings and 49th on MLB Pipeline's. Though he's listed as an inch taller than both Frontado and Money, Rodriguez is also said to be more athletic than the other two, and where that athleticism really shines is in the field. Rodriguez is a glove-first shortstop, and MLB Pipeline went as far as saying that he's one of the best defenders in the entire 2026 international free agent class. Still just 16 years old, Rodriguez doesn't have much power at the plate, and evaluators don't expect him to gain much more as he progresses, but a decent hit tool paired with his elite glove should still leave fans encouraged about his future.

There are plenty of other players that the Brewers will add to their system tomorrow when the international free agent signing window officially opens, but as the top-ranked prospects that Milwaukee will sign, Frontado, Money, and Rodriguez have the best chance of breaking through and becoming the next success story in the Brewers' farm system. Keep an eye out for each of them over the next few years -- a name like Ricki Moneys should be hard to forget.