Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 65 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 60 | Overall: 60

Azua, Dominican Republic, located nearly 100 miles from the capital of the nation, Santo Domingo, has become a pipeline of talented players able to ply their craft against the best. While the city has recently churned out hitters such as Yainer Diaz, Maikel Franco and Esteury Ruiz, early expectations are that Peña could be the best of the group. Evaluators rave about his off-the-field makeup and in-game savvy, believing he has legitimate five-tool impact potential across the board. He trains in Santo Domingo East with Javier Rodríguez at La Alianza, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.

Peña’s hit tool is his calling card. Equipped with oodles of bat speed from the left side, he complements his propensity to hit the ball hard with some of the most advanced plate discipline seen on the international scene in years. It’s rare for a prospect so young to have a keen eye for the zone, but Pena routinely puts it on display while spraying the ball to all fields when he does cut it loose. The power is expected to come on as he continues to mature and adapt to the routine of pro ball.

Top-tier defenders up the middle know that the foundation of playing shortstop starts with footwork. Peña has routinely shown the actions and feel for the position, adding in smooth hands that make it likely he sees the majority of his time there. Boasting a lean frame, Peña runs well among his age group and isn’t likely to be maxed out physically at a young age, leaving room for significant projection and upside.

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

Azua, Dominican Republic might sound familiar to anyone who has followed baseball in the last decade or so. Sure, established Major Leaguers like Yainer Diaz and Maikel Franco hail from there, but it also came up as the hometown of top 2024 international signing and current Top 100 prospect Leodalis De Vries. The city came up again this January when Peña signed for $5 million with the Mets, who only had a $6,261,600 bonus pool this year. Only Roki Sasaki ($6.5 million) signed for more under the 2025 international rules.

Peña wowed evaluators as an amateur with his elite plate discipline, often refusing to expand the zone in showcase settings, much like De Vries did a year earlier. He has ample bat speed from the left side too, and he’s shown a capability of spraying the ball to all fields when he finds a pitch worthy of a swing. There could be even more power to come as he continues to mature and fill out his 5-foot-10 frame, but it already projects for at least average. 

Peña is a solid runner, though some scouts are concerned he’ll slow down as he ages. His footwork, hands, arm strength and overall actions certainly fit shortstop right now, and if he needs to move on the dirt to either second or third, he could be above-average defensively there too. Anything could happen on the long road of development – and a big bonus isn’t indicative of future success on its own – but Peña has all the pieces to become a prominent piece of the Mets’ current pipeline and future Major League club.

Awards

DSL Player of the Month

Month	Team
08/2025

DSL Top MLB Prospect

Year	Team
2025

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	01/22/2025	SS Elian Peña assigned to DSL Mets Orange.
	01/15/2025	New York Mets signed free agent SS Elian Peña to a minor league contract.