On Saturday, the Philadelphia Phillies officially signed right-handed pitcher Ho Hua.
The 17-year-old became the third Taiwanese player to sign with a Major League Baseball organization during this year’s international signing period.
Hua is the first Taiwanese pitching prospect to sign with the Phillies since right-hander Wen-Hui Pan, who ranks as Philadelphia’s No. 12 prospect on MLB Pipeline.
Hua hails from Pingjen Senior High School, which is one of Taiwan’s “premier baseball programs,” according to a report from Lin Youchen of the Taipei Times.
Hua’s signing bonus with the Phillies is $500,000, as reported by Francys Romero. The Phillies used international bonus pool money from a recent trade with the Cleveland Guardians to facilitate the deal.
In that trade, the Phillies sent right-hander Ryan Degges to the Guardians. The 23-year-old posted a 5.47 ERA with 29 strikeouts and 15 walks in nine outings, including seven starts, at Single-A Clearwater and High-A Jersey Shore before the deal.
Hua represented Taiwan by playing for Chinese Taipei at the 2023 Asian Youth Baseball Championship and the 2024 U-18 Baseball World Cup.
At the Baseball World Cup, Hua threw 5 ⅔ innings, posting a 4.94 ERA with five strikeouts in five appearances.
Hua stands 6-foot-2 and throws five pitches: fastball, slider, curveball, changeup, and a splitter.
Of course, the Phillies must be patient with Hua’s development. At just 17, he has many more years and minor league levels to pass through before he reaches the Majors.
Photo Courtesy of Philadelphia Phillies Player Development
