On Tuesday, the Arizona Diamondbacks officially announced the signing of South Korean two-way prospect Jun-Sang Eom.
According to a report from the Associated Press, the 18-year-old shortstop and pitcher received a $1.5 million bonus for his contract with the National League West club.
Eom stands 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, and was a top high school prospect ahead of the Korea Baseball Organization Draft. Instead, he will start his professional baseball career in the United States, likely joining the Diamondbacks during next season’s spring training.
During the 2025 U-18 Baseball World Cup in Japan, Eom recorded seven strikeouts in 3 ⅔ scoreless innings for South Korea. His fastball can touch 95 mph, and he mixes in a mid-80s slider and low-80s splitter.
“He’s a very talented player,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters, including MLB.com’s Jesse Borek, at Eom’s introductory press conference. “The tools are there. All the noticeable things showed up. I understand why he was … sought after. I’m just glad he landed on us and we signed him. He’s going to get into the system, get into this program and find his way to the big leagues.”
Per Borek, the Diamondbacks are not ruling out the possibility of Eom continuing his career on the mound, but his positional outlook with the organization is at shortstop.
There have been 30 South Korean players to reach the Majors. Right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim, a World Series champion in 2001, is the only member of that group to wear a Diamondbacks uniform.
Photo Courtesy of Arizona Diamondbacks on X
