Joseph Deng, 17, has joined the Dodgers, becoming the first South Sudanese player to sign a professional baseball contract.
Baseball America reports that Deng, a right-handed pitcher, captivated scouts with his “fastball/splitter combination.” He can reach speeds of up to 95 miles per hour (152 kilometers) with his fastball.
Although not much is known about Deng’s early career in baseball, he began to garner attention in February 2024, according to The PlayOffs.
That month, Charlie Meyer, an X user who supports up-and-coming African baseball talent, shared a video of Deng throwing in a move to spread the word about him.
Meyer wrote in his post, “Joseph Deng RHP from South Sudan Huge physical projection as he stands 6 ‘6 feet tall! This video is from a while ago but sound mechanics are present. I am in the process of getting some recent video with a radar gun. Definitely one to watch.”
Deng stands 201 cm (6 feet 7 inches) tall and weighs 185 pounds (83 kg). According to WBSC, the scouting report describes him as having “an extremely lanky, long-limbed frame with tons of space to fill out and continue to add velocity once he gets stronger.”
The MLB International Signing Period started on January 15. Deng became the second African player to sign up with a big league team this year. He joined Ugandan infielder Armstrong Muhoozi, who joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024.
While most teams are concentrating on Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, the Dodgers are one of only two teams (the other team is the Pittsburgh Pirates) to start making investments in the African baseball market, according to Dodger Blue.
During the 2021-22 international signing period, the Dodgers also made history with the signings of pitcher Ben Serunkuma and catcher Umar Male as they were the first two players to sign contracts from Uganda.
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