BASEBALL/Fireballer Lin Po-chun signs minor league deal with Seattle Mariners

Taipei, Feb. 18 (CNA) Taiwanese pitcher Lin Po-chun (林鉑濬), who led Taiwan to its long-awaited Under-18 Asian Baseball Championship title in 2024, has officially signed a US$550,000 minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners.

Details of the contract were unveiled at an introductory press conference in Taipei on Tuesday. The deal includes a US$85,000 scholarship, bringing the total to US$200,000 more than previously reported.

With this agreement, the 18-year-old Lin becomes the 13th Taiwanese player to join the Mariners' organization. The right-handed pitcher expressed excitement at being part of the team's player development pipeline.

"The Mariners' farm system ranks among the top three for pitchers. I want to see how their training can help elevate my pitching to a higher level," Lin said.

Standing 180 centimeters tall, Lin was a two-way player in high school and can throw a fastball that tops 95 miles per hour.

He was named MVP at the U18 Asian Baseball Championship last September after throwing 4 1/3 scoreless innings against Japan out of the bullpen, leading Team Taiwan to its first tournament title since 2007.

On Tuesday, Lin credited his high school coach for taking good care of his pitching arm and expressed confidence in his conditioning.

"My arm is fresh," he said. "My goal is to stay healthy in my first year and make it to Single-A."

Chiang Yi-chang (江益昌), a Mariners scout covering Taiwan, praised Lin's fastball and "excellent changeup" but noted that he needs to work on his slider if he wants to become a starting pitcher.

"[His slider] isn't bad now, but it's not as filthy as his changeup," Chiang said.

Having known Lin for years, Chiang said the Mariners sent multiple scouts to evaluate him and all were impressed. He also spoke highly of Lin's personality, describing him as being eager to exchange opinions with coaches and willing to crack jokes.

"Sometimes you might think this kid is a bit dorky, but I think that's a great trait for a pitcher. He's fearless on the field but polite off it," Chiang said.