WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup alum Jayden Kim signs for Pittsburgh Pirates

Born in 2006, Kim was Australia's starting shortstop at the XXX and XXX! U-18 Baseball World Cups.

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<p>Baseball Australia announced that Jayden Kim signed a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB).</p>

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<p>"From the very beginning of my baseball journey, my goal was always to become a professional player," said Kim. "I worked towards that dream from a young age, and as I gained attention from scouts and teams, it became evident that I could turn this dream into a reality." </p>

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<p>Jayden is the son of <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="David Kim (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.abpaa.com/whatever-i-can-put-back-is-my-pleasure" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">David Kim</span></a></strong>, an Australian born of Korean heritage who played in the inaugural Australian Baseball League (ABL) and had a seven-year career in the Korea Baseball Association (KBO) league with the LG Twins.</p>

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<p>Jayden was born in Korea, started playing baseball there, and moved back to Australia, holding dual citizenship, in 2021.</p>

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<p>As a 16-year-old, Kim was the everyday shortstop for World No. 11 Australia at the <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="XXX WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2021-u18-baseball-world-cup/teams/21938/players/173790" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">XXX WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup</span></a></strong>. He appeared in six games at shortstop in the <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="XXXI U-18 Baseball World Cup. (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2023-u18-baseball-world-cup/teams/24152/players/311972" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">XXXI U-18 Baseball World Cup</span></a></strong>.</p>

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<p>Kim became the second Australian teenager to sign a professional contract this off-season after <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Drew Davies (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/news/australian-18-year-old-drew-davies-signs-for-cincinnati-reds" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Drew Davies</span></a></strong>, who agreed to terms with the Cincinnati Reds.</p>

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<p>Baseball Australia's website reported that 26 Australian players are currently under contract with MLB organizations.</p>

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