The Atlanta Braves signed one of the top international players in the 2024 cycle earlier this week, 17-year-old Jose Perdomo, who received a franchise record $5 million signing bonus.
Perdomo is by far the most hyped international prospect the Braves have had in over a half-decade, since Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies were roaming the minor-league fields. However, not nearly as many highly touted international prospects pan out the way clubs hope. Acuña and Albies weren’t given anywhere close to $5 million signing bonuses and they quickly turned into some of the best players at their position at a very young age.
It’s nearly impossible to tell how a 17-year-old will adapt to professional baseball, but the Braves believe Jose Perdomo has star potential, with one scouting director calling him the next Miguel Cabrera.
“Cruz, the Braves’ director of Latin American scouting, knows he has not been in the scouting world long enough to bring a comparison to Miguel Cabrera to the table, but it did not come from him,” writes Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
“After Perdomo completed a showcase in Florida – an event that helped increase his value – one veteran scouting director told Cruz this: Perdomo reminded him of a young Cabrera.”
That’s a lofty comparison that almost nobody can ever live up to. Cabrera is one of the best pure hitters to ever walk the face of the earth. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer who has multiple MVPs, a triple crown, and over 500 career home runs under his belt to go along with a .306 batting average.
Nobody should expect Jose Perdomo to have a career like Miguel Cabrera. In fact, it wasn’t long ago that the Braves landed a top international prospect that drew comparisons to the Venezuelan legend. His name was Kevin Maitan, and the Braves lost the rights to him when they were punished for violating international rules in regard to paying prospects. It was a difficult pill to swallow at the time, but Maitan went on to spend six seasons in the minors, recording a .643 OPS and never making it past the AA level.
There were questions about Maitan’s work ethic throughout his professional career, which brings me to my point. It’s impossible to know how a 17-year-old is going to react to receiving life-changing money at such a young age. Perdomo may look like Miguel Cabrera now, but Cabrera put in tireless hours from the moment he was signed to turn into the player we know today. Perdomo will have to do the same if he even wants to sniff the accomplishments Cabrera accrued over his career.
—
More must-reads: