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Korea U-18 World Cup shortstop Bae Ji-hwan opts to sign with MLB’s Atlanta Braves

Korea U-18 World Cup shortstop Bae Ji-hwan opts to sign with MLB’s Atlanta Braves
26/09/2017

ATLANTA (Georgia), United States–Bae Ji Hwan, the shortstop for silver medal Korea at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2017, signed for the Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball National League signed High School Korean shortstop Bae Ji Hwan for a bonus in the range of US $ 300,000. It’s the second signing in as many years of top international prospects for the Braves, that had agreed to terms in 2016 with Venezuelan shortstop Kevin Maitan.

The WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup star had been a projected Top 5 pick in the recent Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) draft, but Bae opted to start his professional career with Major League Baseball.

“The Braves have been scouting me for a long time” said Bae through an interpreter as he was introduced by the Braves “I am here because of the interest they showed. I’ve got to believe in the team”.

Braves General Manager John Coppolella confirmed: “He was a player whom we’d shown interest in for a long time”.
It’s the first signing of a player that young out of Asia for the Braves in roughly 20 years.

Bae Ji Hwan starred for silver medal Korea at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2017, played earlier in September in Thunder Bay, Canada.

Korea is number 3 in WBSC baseball rankings.