Teen prospect Shim Jun-seok signs with Pittsburgh Pirates

Shim Jun-seok is featured in an image posted on the Young Bucs Twitter account, an official Pittsburgh Pirates account that follows the club's future players. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Eighteen-year-old pitching prospect Shim Jun-seok has signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the club announced Sunday.

Shim was one of 22 free agent signings announced by the Pirates on Sunday, alongside players from Aruba, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Uganda and Venezuela.

Shim, a right-hander from Duksoo High School in eastern Seoul, skipped last year’s KBO rookie draft in favor of trying to sign with a major league team. He was the No. 10 pick in the international rookie pool, according to MLB Pipeline.

Shim throws a fastball over 150 kilometers-per-hour, with MLB.com claiming he can break 100 miles-per-hour.

“[Shim] has been on our radar for a few years and we are fortunate with the opportunity to bring him into the organization,” Max Kwan, director of player personnel for the Pittsburgh pirates, said in a press release. “He has quality power traits coupled with a strong ability to spin the ball. We are really excited to collaborate with Jun-Seok on his development to the big leagues.”

Junior Vizcaino, the club’s director of international scouting, noted that Shim was rightfully one of the top international prospects and “can do some things with the baseball, God-given.”

Vizcaino also praised Shim’s tricky fastball, saying that the backspin and velocity provide the illusion that the pitch goes up, not down.

Shim picked up four wins and just one loss with a 1.42 ERA in his freshman year, then threw 14 and a third shutout innings his sophomore year. In 2022 he struggled with a back injury and posted a 5.14 ERA.

He is the third Korean player in the Pirates organization, alongside first baseman Choi Ji-man and infielder Bae Ji-hwan. Park Hoy-jun also played for the club last season, but was moved around a few times this offseason before being outrighted by the Atlanta Braves last week.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]