Baseball America reports the New York Mets are the front-runners for 15-year-old Venezuelan Catcher Francisco Alvarez, who is considered a Top 10 prospect in next year’s international signing class.

Here is some video from the MM Baseball Academy highlighting some of the skills the young catcher possesses:

Here is what Ben Badler of BA had to say about Alvarez:

For someone his age, Alvarez has a long track record of high-level offensive game performance. He has a strong, somewhat stocky build (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) and a short but powerful swing from the right side.

The Mets are hoping to follow up what has been a very strong 2017 International Free Agency class that included four Top 50 prospects according to BA. The class was headlined by shortstop Ronny Mauricio who received a franchise record signing bonus of $2.1 million.

Outfielder Adrian Hernandez was given a $1.5 million bonus as the No. 16 ranked prospect. Fellow outfielder Stanly Consuegra was the No. 40 ranked prospect and received $500,000 while No. 49 right-handed pitcher David Marcano signed in late August.