Two-way standout, a projected top pick in KBO Draft, signs with D-backs

Almost exactly five months after the 2026 international signing period opened, the D-backs have landed another major signing. Jun-Sang Eom, a two-way player from South Korea, officially joined the organization in a ceremony at Chase Field on Tuesday afternoon, which he celebrated by taking batting practice on the field with members of the big league club. He even launched a few home runs for good measure.

Eom was expected to be a top selection in the KBO Draft come September, but the 18-year-old has opted to get his professional career underway stateside. He will reportedly land a signing bonus around $1.5 million.

Earlier this year, the D-backs signed Cuban shortstop Ruben Gallego to a $1,747,500 deal to headline their 2026 class. Gallego, the No. 42 international prospect, has gotten his career underway in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League.

Eom was a two-way player for South Korea during the 2025 U18 Baseball World Cup in Japan. In addition to serving as the team’s starting shortstop, he excelled in his pair of pitching appearances, earning a save and collecting seven strikeouts over 3 2/3 scoreless frames. He allowed just two hits -- both singles -- and didn’t walk a batter.

Eom is viewed as a rock solid defender at shortstop, where his considerable arm strength from the mound works in his favor. A longtime standout at the premium position, he has feel for the footwork required at the spot, boosted by his solid in-game instincts.

Offensively, Eom is presently a hit-over-power type. But at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, evaluators believe there is plenty of extra-base pop to tap into, especially as he improves his angles off the bat. He won Korea’s 2026 Weekend League batting title, tops among players from 102 schools.

On the mound, Eom’s fastball has been clocked as high as 95 mph but sits primarily in the 91-92 range. His go-to secondary offering is presently his 84-87 mph slider, but he shows feel for a low-80s splitter with late life that dives below the barrel. He arrives as something of a polished pitcher among his age group, showing above-average command and feel for sequencing, rare traits for teenage hurlers.

Across baseball, clubs have recently been more receptive to the idea of players getting reps on the mound, in the field and in the batter’s box. Last year, the Athletics signed Shotaro Morii, a projected top selection in the NPB Draft, for a record bonus north of $1.5 million, the most for a player from Japan prior to turning pro. Morii is among a group of two-way players currently plying his trade in the Minors, alongside the Rangers’ Josh Owens and the Blue Jays’ Austin Smith.

The Korean high school ranks, in particular, have produced a handful of standout players in recent years. Right-hander Chan-Min Park commanded the largest bonus of any pitcher in the 2026 class when he joined the Phillies on May 23 and the Rangers landed Seong-Jun Kim last May, a two-way player in his own right who has primarily focused on hitting this season.

Just 30 players from South Korea have ever reached the Major League level. The only member of that group to suit up for the D-backs is right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim, who was an integral piece in the organization’s 2001 World Series win and ranks fourth in franchise history with 70 saves and second in games finished (150).