Los Angeles Dodgers become first to sign player from South Sudan

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been all over the news recently. In October, they won their first full-season World Series title in 36 years. The next month, they signed two-time CY Young Award winner Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract. 

Since then, the Dodgers have made other massive offseason moves, re-signing slugging outfielder Teoscar Hernández, adding Korean player Hyeseong Kim and acquiring Japanese phenom pitcher Roki Sasaki. 

Although Sasaki was the diamond in this year’s international class, Los Angeles made another noteworthy international move on Saturday, when they signed 17-year-old pitcher Joseph Deng, the first player from South Sudan to sign a professional baseball contract. 

Deng, a 6-foot-7, 185-pound right-hander with a 95 mph fastball, is the second African player to be signed this year. He joins infielder Armstrong Muhoozi from Uganda, who the Pittsburgh Pirates signed. 

At only 17, Deng has enough time to fill out his lanky frame, meaning that his spectacular fastball could become even better. He could reach triple digits in the coming years as he goes on legendary baseball journey.