Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hanshin Tigers signed Dominican outfielder Stanley Consuegra to a developmental contract on Friday, per Yakyu Cosmopolitan on X.
Consuegra, 24, was once a highly touted prospect in the New York Mets’ organization. In 2024, he played 60 games with High-A Brooklyn and 58 games with Double-A Binghamton, hitting a combined .215 with 10 home runs and 53 RBI.
Consuegra’s best season in the organization’s minor league system was in 2023, when he hit 23 home runs with a .783 OPS in 93 games with High-A Brooklyn.
According to Statcast, the outfielder hit the second-hardest ball in play during spring training in 2024. Consuegra hit a 117.2 mph double in a game last spring, just 1.5 mph less than the hardest exit velocity of the spring. New York Yankees’ designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton hit a 118.7 mph single.
Consuegra was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and signed with the Mets as an international free agent in 2017. When the Tigers begin training camp in 2025, it will be his first experience playing professional baseball outside of affiliated ball in the United States.
Gaijin Baseball on X reports that developmental players under contract with NPB organizations receive a triple-digit number and cannot transition to the top team unless the club upgrades their contract. Given Consuegra’s young age and potential skill set in the field and at the plate, perhaps the Tigers will give him a chance with the top team at some point down the road.
