“If he were eligible for the Major League Baseball draft, Jang’s talent is such that he could be a second- or third-round pick.”
American interest in high school standout Jang Hyun-seok (18, Masan Yongmago) is high. He is the Los Angeles Dodgers’ top international prospect. Jang’s agency, Rico Sports, announced on the 9th that “Jang Hyun-seok has signed a contract with the Major League Baseball Dodgers worth $900,000 (approx. 1.1 billion won)”. It was eight days after he declined to be drafted in the 2024 KBO Draft on the 1st of this month and declared his intention to play in the major leagues.
The signing was significant in that the Dodgers were aggressive in their pursuit of Jang. Instead of waiting for the international signing pool to open next year, the Dodgers pushed to sign Jang this year. The Dodgers recently received a dash of bonus money when they traded top prospects Aldrin Batista and Maximo Martinez to the Chicago White Sox. With the Dodgers showing such a strong commitment to Jang Hyun-seok, many in the U.S. are curious to know what kind of player he is.
On the 10th, Dodger Blue, which covers Dodger news, evaluated Jang Hyun-seok as having enough talent to be selected in the second or third round of the Major League Baseball draft.
Dodger Blue said, ‘Jang Hyun-seok, 19, was expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the KBO draft next month. But Jang decided to take on a challenge to fulfil his dream of becoming a major leaguer. He throws a fastball that reaches up to 97 mph (about 156 km/h) and has a variety of pitches, including a slider, sweeper, curveball, and changeup.
‘He pitched seven games in the high school league this season, going 3-0 with a 0.33 ERA. He struck out 49 batters while walking 12. He allowed just one earned run in 27⅓ innings pitched. Jang was named to the Korean baseball team for the Hangzhou Asian Games. At the Asian Games in September, Jang will be the youngest player and the only amateur on the Korean team,” added the statement.
Jang Hyun-seok also caught the eye of the Dodgers. According to Sports Illustrated, “The Dodgers are very excited to have a pitcher with an unbelievable variety of pitches and a talent that tops out at 97 mph. Jang is also excited to show Los Angeles and the rest of the major leagues what he can do,” said Sports Illustrated. “The Dodgers have a long list of success stories with internationally signed pitchers. Ryu Hyun-jin, Genta Maeda, Hideo Nomo, and Julio Urias, to name a few. We look forward to seeing Hyun-seok Jang follow in their footsteps and become the next star in the Dodgers’ starting rotation.
In South Korea, many are watching to see if Jang can become the first Korean to succeed in the major leagues straight out of high school. Since Park Chan-ho’s successful career with the Dodgers in 1994, there has been a growing number of high school pitchers who have gone straight to the major leagues, but there have been far more failures than successes. In recent years, players who have gained enough experience in the KBO, such as Ryu Hyun-jin, Kim Kwang-hyun, and Oh Seung-hwan, have made their presence felt in the major leagues, and the trend of going straight to the majors has faded.카지노
However, Jang Hyun-seok is trying to write a success story after countless failures. Shim Jun-seok, 19, who was called the biggest high school talent last year, has also signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates and is taking steps to become a big league pitcher. We’re curious to see if Jang will be able to fulfil the potential and talent that has made him one of the most promising pitchers in South Korea this year.
“I am honoured to join the prestigious Dodgers,” Jang said through his agency. I will work hard to become a better player as they have chosen me,” he said through his agency.