The Los Angeles Dodgers proceed to make historical past this offseason.
Los Angeles has made many roster enhancements to a workforce that has simply gained the World Sequence. With improved beginning pitching in Blake Snell, bringing again key gamers like Teoscar Hernández and Blake Treinen, and most just lately, aid pitching assist in Tanner Scott popping out of this offseason, issues are trying up for L.A.
In addition they gained the offseason of Roki Sasaki and agreed to signal the 23-year-old regardless of a decrease bid than the opposite two finalists, however they just lately made one other transfer that no workforce has ever completed earlier than in MLB.
Seventeen-year-old Joseph Deng from South Sudan is the primary ever participant from his nation to signal with a significant league workforce, per Baseball America’s Ban Badler, as he inked a take care of the Dodgers.
Deng, towering over batters at 6-foot-7, has a fastball that may already attain 95 miles per hour.
The primary prospect to ever flip professional from South Sudan nearly didn’t signal with Los Angeles, as they put all potential worldwide signings on maintain in pursuit of Sasaki. However fortunately for either side, Deng joins the extra bonus pool area because of a commerce L.A. made to get a bigger supply for Sasaki.
As Deng honors South Sudan as the primary skilled baseball participant from his nation, he turns into the second participant signed from the continent of Africa following Armstrong Muhoozi, an infielder from Uganda.
Deng comes right into a minor league system that wants extra pitching help.
The Dodgers at present don’t have a pitcher inside the highest 50 MLB prospects as the very best is left-hander Jackson Ferris of the Double-A Tulsa Drillers.
Ferris, at 21 years outdated, was initially drafted by the Chicago Cubs within the second spherical of the 2022 draft. He had a 3.20 ERA in 126.2 innings final season throughout time with Single-A and Double-A.
Regardless of Deng not but being ranked on the MLB prospects record, his dimension and youth will probably be elements in his improvement within the farm system. At solely 17 years outdated, there isn’t any telling what his future will be.
Above all, being the primary participant from South Sudan to be representing his nation on the baseball diamond is a particularly excessive honor. It’s additionally yet one more historic second for the Dodgers.
Picture Credit score: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Photos
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