CLEVELAND — Donny Rowland’s voice was halfway around the world in Amsterdam, but it wasn’t difficult to hear the enthusiasm in the words he was using to describe Kevin Alcantara.

“He is an elite athlete at a premier position,” the Yankees’ head of international scouting told The Post on Friday when asked about the 16-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic, who signed Thursday for roughly $1 million. “He projects to have all five tools — an elite center fielder who glides. We identified him very early.”

Alcantara is 6-foot-5, 175 pounds with developing power, but Rowland said he doesn’t believe to the point where other tools will decrease.

Unsolicited, Rowland compared Alcantara to a pair of good big league outfielders.

“Dexter Fowler and Devon White with more power,” Rowland said of Alcantara, whom the Yankees ranked as the fourth-best Latin American prospect. “He is a really interesting guy.”

Aaron Boone started Tyler Wade at short during the Yankees’ 6-5 loss to the Indians Friday night, giving Didi Gregorius a rest. It was Wade’s first start of the season at short and 12th overall. The other 11 were at second base. Wade went 2-for-3 with a double and scored a run.

Gregorius started the previous 27 games, including both ends of Monday night’s doubleheader in Baltimore. The last game Gregorius didn’t start was June 14.