When we published the Orioles' top 20 international prospects list Saturday with players we have ranked No. 2 through No. 10, there were no pitchers, but several do make this list as we wrap it up today.

Among the final 10 players here are six pitchers, five right-handers and a lefty. Several can bring some heat for such young players but most have to work on deliveries and command to lower walk rates as they move up the minor league ladder.

No. 11 - RHP Luis Sánchez: The Orioles signed Sanchez for $200,000 on Jan. 15, 2019. He turns 20 on March 4. He had some small, nagging injury issues and did not pitch in an official minor league game in 2022 while working on a strengthening program. But he did throw innings against live hitters at instructional league after the season and pitched well and impressed, showing some upper-90s velocity.

From San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, Sánchez brings a fastball that has been up to 99 mph and often sits in the mid-90s. His slider has become a solid secondary, and he throws an average changeup at this point. Between the Florida Complex League and Dominican Summer League in 2021, he went 0-4 with a 7.23 ERA. In 37 1/3 innings he walked 29 and fanned 39, allowing a .268 batting average. But the stuff is plus at times and he needs to just harness his command and stay healthy. He could be a starter for low Single-A Delmarva this year. 

No. 12 – Infielder Joshua Liranzo: A right-handed hitter, he was part of the January 2023 signing class and, at $500,000, got the second-highest bonus from the Orioles in this class after Luis Almeyda, who received $2.3 million and is fourth on this list.

For the Orioles, the building of the elite talent pipeline on the farm begins for many kids out of the spotlight and in the lower minors.

That is where they try and take their talent and a good learning process and put the two together to start a career toward Baltimore. One that can take a long time and have ups and downs along the way.

For kids from the Dominican Republic, that process starts in the Dominican Summer League and they eventually make their way to the United States to full-season affiliated baseball, where they hope to start to put themselves on the map. That is happening this year with a right-hander that turns 20 today.

He is Juan De Los Santos, from San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. In his first year of full-season ball with low Single-A Delmarva, De Los Santos is showing a fastball touching 97 mph and maybe more importantly, showing how eager he is to learn and grow as a player, soaking up every resource available to him.

It is a nice start to a career that began in the DSL in 2019, was interrupted by the cancelled 2020 minor league season, but continued last summer in the rookie-level Florida Complex League where he pitched to an ERA of 3.83 in 45 innings.

The Orioles are one of 10 major league organizations that field two teams in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. It is a league where some the youngest international players in pro ball get their feet wet and start to really learn the game. The Orioles' two DSL teams have had solid seasons, and club officials feel the talent level in their Dominican program is on the rise. The O's DSL-1 team has a record of 31-36 and the DSL-2 team is 26-32. Felipe Rojas Alou Jr. is the director of the...