Here is all you need to know about Elian Pena, as the baseball player nears signing with the Mets along with his age, career, bio, contract and more
A new rising star is in the making. According to a report by Baseball America on Wednesday, the most sought-after Dominican Republic infielder named Elian Pena is anticipated to sign a deal with the New York Mets to the highest bonus of all his peers on January 15, 2025, when the next international signing window opens.
Who is Elian Pena new New York Mets baseball player, bio, age, height, weight, ethnicity and nationality
His contract is said to be worth around $5 million but the international signing period opens on Jan. 15, 2025, so things won’t become official until then.
The Mets, who are obviously confident in Pena’s skills, handed him the largest signing class bonus, meaning that after the contract, they only had about 20% of their allotted money remaining.
Yovanny Rodriguez, a catcher, set the previous record for the Mets to sign an international prospect when he was given $2.85 million in January 2024. Here is all you need to know about the youngster.
Who is Elian Pena?
Elian Pena is a baseball player and a left-handed hitter whom Ben Badler of Baseball America describes as the “most dangerous offensive threat in the class.” The 16-year-old hails from the Dominican Republic.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 155 pounds, he is anticipated to surpass Yovanny Rodriguez’s record as the Mets’ most significant international acquisition to date.
Badler, who also posted a video of the young player hitting on X (formerly Twitter), said that while some scouts thought the player could play shortstop, others thought he could play third. He is expected to be a key player in the Mets farm system.
Here's Dominican shortstop Elian Peña hitting balls over the fence on five straight swings.
Will be one of the top international prospects for January 15, 2025. pic.twitter.com/IwWg33TrzJ
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) May 15, 2024
The 16-year-old shortstop, Pena is one of the greatest prospects available in the J-15 class of next year, but questions remain about where he will play defensively as he fills out.
Although his exceptional hitting makes him a versatile prospect who could play a variety of infield positions successfully, he does have some defensive concerns. His easy left-handed power has already drawn comparisons to Rafael Devers.
While Pena isn’t slated to make his formal debut until next year, the Mets have a history of identifying and nurturing exceptional young talent early in their careers and the 16-year-old is expected to be one of them.