Cubs Sign Yoanis Aleksandrov, First Ever Player from Bulgaria

We’re a little late to the party on this one because my Southwest flight from Phoenix didn’t have wifi, but it’s a cool enough story that it still merits coverage. It was reported Tuesday that the Cubs have signed 17-year-old Yoanis Aleksandrov, the first ever player from Bulgaria to join an MLB organization. Aleksandrov impressed with the Sofia Blues back home and caught the eye of several MLB teams when he participated in Perfect Game showcases in Florida last fall.

He’s already in camp with the Cubs and will likely remain in Mesa to take part in extended spring training as he gets acclimated to the professional game. It’s hard to know exactly how advanced the young man’s skills are at this stage, but he’s certainly got the frame to be a slugger. Listed at a little over 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, he may still have room to grow.

First ever autograph Yoanis Aleksandrov signed in the U.S. Cubs just signed him from Bulgaria. 17 years old. pic.twitter.com/yPFrs3sR3F

— onemillioncubs (@onemillioncubs) March 29, 2022

In addition to his physical stature, Aleksandrov has quite the athletic pedigree as the son of a former decathlete (father Assen) and hurdler (mother Svetlana). And while he hails from Bulgaria, he grew up in Nettuno, Italy, a Roman suburb. That’s where he fell in love with baseball, perhaps in part due to the exploits of Robel Garcia.

I don’t think we should expect to hear too much from this young man right away, but it’s a fun story that I’m excited to hear more about in time.