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Cruz remembers someone saying that [Perdomo] resembled a young Miguel Cabrera, which made an impression on him. He then researched old videos and spoke with the scout who signed [Cabrera]. He believes that Cabrera is the most accurate comparison for Perdomo.

According to Cruz, Anthopoulos believes that there is immediate value in acquiring this player. He sees this as an opportunity to add someone who will greatly contribute to our team in the future, although we are not setting a specific timeline for his development. Each player has their own pace of growth, but we are confident that he has the potential to be a significant asset in the major leagues, not just an average player.

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“I am at ease expressing that statement. It is a significant comparison to make, as the person in question is a potential inductee into the Hall of Fame. However, the way he swung the bat resembled the skill of Miggy.”

Currently, there may be some individuals expressing frustration towards Maitan and other aspects of the Braves’ 2016 international class. This group, which was assembled unlawfully and received excessive hype, resulted in MLB imposing severe penalties on the team. Despite being eight years since then, Maitan and the majority of this class have not fulfilled their predicted potential.

According to Cruz, international scouting is like the Wild West. We start scouting young players as early as possible. Even if they are technically eligible for a later class, like 2028 or 2029, we won’t ignore them if we see them performing on the field during the 2024 or 2025 class scouting.

If Perdomo lives up to expectations, the Braves will be pleased with their decision to invest in him on Monday. They offered the 17-year-old from Venezuela a million bonus to sign his first professional contract, making it the highest bonus given to any international prospect this year.

The Braves would be elated if Perdomo, who is ranked as the third top prospect in the 2024 international class by MLB Pipeline, fulfills the comparison made to Cruz by a seasoned scout a few years ago.

“We would prefer if the process was similar to the Draft, where there is a track record of three or four years to base our decision on. However, this is not the case. Therefore, we try to gather information early on. When the time comes, we will make a well-informed decision and hopefully choose the most suitable candidate.”

Since then, Torres has been chosen as an All-Star twice and has hit 20 or more home runs in four seasons for the Yankees.

Perdomo’s youthful appearance is similar to that of Cabrera and other players who have made it to the Major Leagues. The expectation is that he will continue to play as a shortstop. However, like a young Chipper Jones, his success will ultimately be determined by his hitting skills rather than his shortstop abilities.

In 2017, the penalties imposed resulted in the Braves being unable to participate in the global market for a period of time. As a result, their farm system, which primarily focuses on pitching, lacks depth in position players. Perdomo is the sought-after player who has the potential to make a significant impact on the team.

Predicting the outcome of drafting college players and high school graduates in the MLB Draft is a challenging task, as they typically fall within the 17-21 age range. The international market adds an additional layer of difficulty, as players are often scouted and pursued before they even reach their teenage years.

After looking at recent events, Braves supporters need not worry too much about Perdomo’s potential compared to Cabrera’s. However, it is reasonable for them to hope that the promising shortstop becomes more than just another Kevin Maitan. Maitan was highly anticipated as one of the team’s top international prospects, alongside players like Andruw Jones and Wilson Betemit.

According to Cruz, he initially encountered Perdomo approximately three years prior, during a training session arranged by a scout from Venezuela. This marked the beginning of a pursuit that may prove fruitful towards the end of the decade, coinciding with the expiration of current contracts for Acuña and Ozzie Albies.

In 2016, Maitan received a .25 million signing bonus, while Ronald Acuña Jr. received a 0,000 signing bonus two years prior. However, it wasn’t until Acuña began excelling in the game that this information became well-known.

The director of Latin American scouting for the Braves, Jonathan Cruz, first thought that Gleyber Torres would be the closest comparison to Jose Perdomo. This was a very positive assessment, as Torres was ranked as the third-best international prospect by MLB Pipeline before he joined the Cubs in 2013.