Taipei: The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Japan's professional baseball league have officially announced the signing of 19-year-old Taiwanese pitcher Zhang Jun-wei. This announcement was made during a press conference held in Taipei on Monday.According to Focus Taiwan, while the specifics of Zhang's contract weren't disclosed at the event, several media outlets in Japan have reported that the deal includes a signing bonus of 100 million Japanese yen (approximately US$649,925) and an annual salary of 4 million yen. SoftBank Hawks General Manager Sugihiko Mikasa expressed his admiration for Zhang, particularly after witnessing his performance during the U-18 Baseball World Cup's super round against the United States last year. In that memorable game at Taipei's Tianmu Baseball Stadium, Zhang delivered seven shutout innings, leading Taiwan to a 3-0 victory over the U.S.Mikasa acknowledged Zhang's ambition to reach the majors within two years but emphasized the importance of maintaining his health to ensure conti nuous development. Zhang's fastball, capable of reaching speeds of 156 kilometers-per-hour, has been a significant draw for the team.Zhang has been compared to Lin Yu-min, a 21-year-old prospect for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who recently played a crucial role in Taiwan's Premier12 title game win over Japan. New Taipei City Baseball Association Chairman Tsai Ming-tang noted the similarities between Zhang and Lin, highlighting Zhang's technical skills and determination. Tsai expressed optimism about Zhang's future performance in Japan.Zhang's journey began at Ku Pao Home Economics and Commercial High School in New Taipei's Sanchong District, a school known for developing several players from Taiwan's Premier12 championship team, including Lin. Lee Tu-hsuan, a scout for the SoftBank Hawks, remarked that the signing demonstrates baseball legend Sadaharu Oh's high regard for Taiwan's talent pool, as Oh serves as the president of the Japanese team.