At the top of the Twins’ crop of acquisitions during the 2023 international signing period were Ariel Castro and Hendry Chivilli, both of whom got over $2 million to sign. But at least so far, it’s been Pena, who received just $40,000, who has jumped on the larger prospect radar. His .382 average would have been second in the Dominican Summer League in 2023 had he amassed enough at-bats to qualify, and he continued to swing the bat well with a move to the United States and the Florida Complex League.
A sub-six-foot infielder, Pena has already shown an innate ability to find the barrel. The right-handed hitter almost never swings and misses, with miniscule strikeout rates reminiscent of one-time Twins prospect Luis Arraez. It’s an extreme hit-over-power profile, but he can drive the ball to all gaps for doubles and triples.
Where Pena plays defensively remains to be seen. His best chance to be a regular is probably at second base, where he’s seen most of his time because he has a fringy arm. He’s also seen time at third and in left field, but he’ll need to work to become an adequate defender to be a regular. The contact skills alone make him a prospect worth tracking.
