“I want to play on the biggest stage in the world”
High school’s top pitcher declares he’s headed to the ML
Did not participate in the Korean professional draft
Pitcher Jang Hyun-seok (19, Masan Yongmago), who became the first high school player to be selected for the Asian Games baseball team, has decided to pursue a career in Major League Baseball (MLB) instead of playing in the Korean Professional Baseball Organization.
Jang’s management company, Ricoh Sports Agency, announced on Jan. 1 that “Jang Hyun-seok has decided to challenge the MLB without submitting an application to the Korean Baseball Organization’s rookie draft after a long consideration.” Through his management company, Jang Hyun-seok said, “It was very difficult for me to decide because both the Korean Baseball Organization and the MLB were my dreams,” adding, “I made up my mind to challenge the MLB because I want to play on the best stage in the world.” As a result, Jang will not participate in the 2024 Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) First-Year Player Draft on September 15 and will negotiate with MLB teams that have shown interest in him.
The right-handed pitcher is 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, and throws a fastball that reaches 150 kilometers per hour and a variety of other pitches, making him one of the top prospects in this year’s draft. Jang appeared in seven high school baseball games this year, pitching 27 and one-third innings, going 3-0 with an impressive 0.33 ERA. Most notably, he struck out 49 batters, far more than he pitched.
Jang was the only amateur to make the 24-man roster for the Hangzhou Asian Games, which begin in September. 온라인섯다 If the baseball team wins the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Jang will be exempted from military service.