Taipei, June 23 (CNA) Taiwanese catcher Lyle Lin signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, becoming the first Taiwan player to join a Major League Baseball (MLB) team via the annual draft.
Lin, 21, a junior at Arizona State University, said in a Facebook post that the deal was signed at the D-Backs spring training base in Phoenix, Arizona, and he will be joining the D-Backs minor league team in its current season.
"This (signing of a contract) is just one step in my baseball career, as a long road of hard and solid training sessions awaits me," Lin said in his post.
Lin was selected by the D-Backs in the 14th round of the MLB's 2019 draft this month.
He picked by the Houston Astros last year in the 29th round and was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 16th round of the MLB draft two years ago just after he finished high school, but he did not sign any of those teams.
More than 60 Taiwanese players have tried to enter the MLB over the past few decades and some have succeeded, but none of them have been picked via the annual draft.
Lin studied at New Taipei City's Ku Pao Home Economics & Commercial High School for one year before transferring to JSerra Catholic High School in California to pursue his baseball dreams.
"Hopefully my experience will encourage more young Taiwanese to follow in my footsteps and pursue their dreams by taking the road less traveled," Lin said.
