Taipei: The New York Yankees have signed 18-year-old Taiwanese pitching prospect Lai Chien-fan to a contract worth up to $1 million.

According to Focus Taiwan, the deal includes a $875,000 signing bonus, with scholarships bringing its total value to $1 million. Yankees executives, speaking at a signing ceremony in Taipei, expressed confidence in the 1.78-meter, 80-kilogram right-hander, who recently graduated from Taoyuan Municipal Daxi Senior High School, to develop into a successful Major League Baseball pitcher.

Mario Garza, the Yankees' director of international scouting, stated that the Yankees have been monitoring Lai for the past two years and have been impressed by both his on-field performance and character. "The more I get to know Lai Chien-fan, the more I have confidence that he is going to be up for this challenge," Garza said.

Garza highlighted the significance of meeting Lai's family and support system, which reinforced the club's belief in his potential for success in professional baseball. According to Garza, Lai's fastball reaches 95-96 mph (153-154 kph) and is complemented by an outstanding curveball that has the potential to become a plus pitch in the major leagues.

At the 2025 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, Lai made three relief appearances for Taiwan, striking out 14 batters over seven innings and allowing just one earned run, helping Taiwan secure a bronze medal with a 1.00 ERA.

Matt Slater, the Yankees' global player acquisition supervisor, described Lai as a dedicated young player with tremendous potential. He emphasized that success at the highest level requires not only physical ability but also mental strength. Slater noted the significance of Lai's signing, as it marks the Yankees' first signing in Taiwan in 16 years and their first in Asia in 12 years.

The Yankees announced Lai's signing earlier this week, making him the third Taiwanese player to join the organization as an international free agent, following Wang Chien-ming in 2000 and Kuo Fu-lin in 2009. Lai cited Wang as his role model and expressed his ambition to face Yankees stars Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton during live batting practice.

Lai, a native of Taitung County, remarked that signing with one of baseball's most storied franchises is an honor rather than a source of pressure. "My responsibility now is to keep working hard and reach the major leagues," he said.