When Will 'Korean Ohtani' Join Rangers After Officially Signing Contract?

When Shohei Ohtani became a free agent after the 2023 season, the Texas Rangers were one of the many major market team that lined up to vie for his services.

It was easy to understand why.

The Japanese phenom had taken Major League Baseball by storm with his eye-popping numbers with the bat in his hand and his ability to dominate opposing lineups to a Cy Young level.

Adding that type of unicorn player is what every organization dreams about.

But it was the Los Angeles Dodgers who won these sweepstakes, adding the mega-talent to their already stacked roster that resulted in them winning the World Series in 2024 during Ohtani's first year with the team on the back of his first NL MVP Award and his third overall.

The Rangers weren't able to add the present day superstar, but they might have landed a player who can become one.

It was previously reported that Texas signed Korean two-way player Seong-Jun Kim.

Nicknamed the "Korean Ohtani," the shortstop and pitcher has put together an impressive high school career, winning the 2024 Amateur HS Player of the Year award and being named 2025 First Half Weekend League MVP, per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com.

When Will Seong-Jun Kim Join the Texas Rangers?

The talented international high schooler is set to join the organization after he graduates in January 2026, opting to sign with the Rangers instead of entering into the KBO draft.

Getting Kim into their developmental system at that time will be huge.

Right now, pitching is the aspect of Kim's game that's the furthest along, owning a fastball that reaches 95 mph with breaking balls and a splitter that generate swings and misses. And while he's hitting .333 with a 1.015 OPS per Landry, it'll be much more difficult to hit when he comes stateside.

Texas wants to develop him on both sides of the ball.

With him set to join the Rangers in January 2026, they'll be hands on with him during the early stages of his professional career with the hope that he can become the next two-way phenom just like his nickname suggests.

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