According to sources, Pirates Prospects has learned that the Pittsburgh Pirates are front runners to sign catcher Javier Acevedo and center fielder Iverson Allen from Panama. Both players will be part of the 2023 International signing class, as neither has turned 16 years old yet, so they aren’t eligible to sign.
Iverson Allen is the real name of the player, and his father was a national basketball player in Panama, which helps explain the name. The baseball player is a center fielder with tremendous raw tools and a very high ceiling (high enough to dunk). He’s a plus athlete, who still has plenty of progress to make due to his age. They all sign at 16 (or older), but he’s young for the signing class.
Acevedo is a left-handed hitting catcher with skills and upside on both sides of the ball. He has a medium frame and he’s athletic for a catcher. At the plate he has what is described as an easy/smooth swing, with a feel for barreling up pitches.
The only problem here might be a possible 2023 international draft if it goes into effect. If that happens, then these will change to players who the Pirates have interest in drafting, but obviously no guarantees.
UPDATE: A little miscommunication on my part led to me thinking that the 2023 class, as I was told, meant players who would be signing in January of 2023. Turns out that the 2023 class becomes eligible to sign (under the old rules) in July of 2023, even though the signing date has been permanently pushed back to January 15th. I assumed they were signing in January 2023, but didn’t confirm. These players will be able to sign on January 15, 2024.
