The Twins were very active in the international market during the 2022 signing period, handing out a dozen bonuses of six figures or higher, a class topped by Yasser Mercedes and his $1.7 million bonus. On the other end of the spectrum is Lares, who received just $10,000 to sign in May of that year and pitched well during his debut in the Dominican Summer League. His performance was more uneven in the Florida Complex League last year, but he’s taken a nice step forward at the outset of the 2024 season during his full-season debut.
An undersized left-hander, Lares has a legitimate four-pitch mix and a feel for how to use it. His fastball is fringy right now, sitting around 91 mph and topping out at 93, but there’s hope he can add strength to his 6-foot frame and find a few more ticks of velocity. His mid-70s curveball is his best secondary offering, a pitch that was generating a miss rate north of 50 percent at the start of 2024. His low-80s slider also misses bats, and he has a fringy 80-82-mph changeup that kills spin as well.
After showing spotty control during his DSL debut, Lares has been an extreme strike-thrower since coming stateside, and he’s improved command-wise within the zone this season. He might have a limited ceiling as a back-end starter, but the Twins are good at teasing more velocity out of their young arms.
