Daegu High School Bae Chan-seung Samsung, Gwangju Jeil High School Kim Tae-hyun Lotte
Beast’s Biggest Fish Park Jun-soon: Doosan “Five-tool is close”
‘High school’s biggest fish’ left-handed pitcher Jeong Hyeon-woo (18, Deoksu High School) will wear the Kiwoom Heroes uniform as the first overall pick in the professional baseball rookie draft.
Kiwoom nominated Jung Hyun-woo first in the ‘2025 KBO Rookie Draft’ held at the Lotte Hotel World Crystal Ballroom in Songpa-gu, Seoul on the 11th.
Kiwoom’s coach Koh Heung-wook, who took the microphone, called Deoksu High School’s Jeong Hyeon-woo’s name without hesitation.
“This is the first time in the history of the team that we have selected the first overall pick,” said General Manager Ko. “We have selected Jeong Hyeon-woo as the first overall pick after continuous observation and comprehensive evaluation.”
Jung Hyun-woo, who is 184 cm tall and weighs 87 kg and is a left-handed pitcher, is known for his fastballs that reach a top speed of 150 km/h and his excellent control and ability to use breaking balls. Jung Hyun-woo led Deoksu High School to victory in the Shinsegae E-Mart Cup last April.
Jung Hyun-woo said, “I am honored to be nominated first overall. I am grateful to the Heroes team for believing in me and selecting me,” and added, “I am very happy, but I also feel a sense of responsibility. I will grow into a Hero, just like the team’s name.”
The Hanwha Eagles, which ranked second, selected Jeonju High School right-handed pitcher Woo-Joo Jeong (18). Woo-Joo Jeong, who is 185 cm tall and 88 kg, caught the eye by throwing a fastball of up to 156 km/h on the high school stage. He is evaluated as having innate athletic ability, as he can play not only as a pitcher but also as a shortstop. He led Jeonju High School to victory in the Cheongryonggi last July.
Hanwha selected Moon Dong-joo as the first pick in 2021, Kim Seo-hyun as the first overall pick last year, and brought in Jung Woo-joo, forming the ‘160 km trio’.
Hanwha Eagles general manager Son Hyuk said, “(Jung Woo-joo) has a smooth pitching motion and is a pitcher who can show perfect pitching whether he is a starter or a bullpen pitcher,” adding, “Fastball is not something you can learn.”
Jung Woo-joo said, “Many fans wish for Hanwha to win the Korean Series, not just the postseason,” and added, “I will quickly go to the first team and show a good performance.”
Samsung Lions, which was third in the rankings, chose Daegu High School’s left-handed pitcher Bae Chan-seung as expected. Bae Chan-seung, who is 182 cm tall and 80 kg, stands out for his excellent pitching skills as a left-handed pitcher and batsman.
Bae Chan-seung smiled and said, “I will work harder to show a good performance as a pro since I was selected first for the team,” and added, “My blood is now blue.”
The 4th-ranked Lotte Giants selected Gwangju Jeil High School left-handed pitcher Kim Tae-hyun (Gwangju Ilgo).
Kim Tae-hyun is a left-handed pitcher with a height of 185 cm and a physical strength of 87 kg. He is currently a member of the national team for the U-23 Baseball World Cup and is therefore unable to attend.
Lotte’s general manager Park Jun-hyeok said, “The reason we drafted Kim Tae-hyun is because he has good fastball movement, curveball angle, and a variety of pitches,” adding, “We thought he could be a good starter in the pros.”
The 5th ranked KIA Tigers called the name of Deoksu High School right-handed pitcher Kim Tae-hyung. Standing at 186 cm and weighing 91 kg, the right-handed pitcher Kim Tae-hyung has been attracting attention for his consistent performance on the high school stage.
KIA’s general manager Shim Jae-hak said, “He has outstanding physical ability and the scout team unanimously agreed on him,” and smiled, “I heard that his role model is Yang Hyeon-jong (KIA). I tried to make it so that they could work out together once.”
Kim Tae-hyung said, “I feel great to have been selected for the team I’ve liked since I was little,” and added, “I will definitely become a player who represents the team.”
The 6th place Doosan Bears selected Park Jun-sun (Deoksu High School), who is considered the best pitcher among the fielders. Standing at 180 cm and 79 kg, Park Jun-sun, a right-handed pitcher, is evaluated to have a balanced hitting accuracy, long-distance hitting power, and speed, and is considered to have the potential to become the ‘second Kim Do-young.’
Doosan Bears’ general manager Kim Tae-ryong said, “We judged him to be the best infielder this year. He will be a key player for Doosan’s infield for the next 20 years. He is a player who is close to a five-tool player.”
Park Jun-soon said, “My goal was to be ranked first among all beasts, and I am happy that I was able to achieve it,” and expressed his strong determination, saying, “I will be with you until we win the Korean Series.”
Kiwoom, who acquired the 7th pick through a trade with the NC Dinos, selected Kim Seo-jun, a right-handed pitcher from Chunghoon High School. Kim Seo-jun is a right-handed pitcher with a solid physique of 190 cm and 86 kg.
SSG Landers, ranked 8th, selected Kangreung High School catcher Lee Yul-ye. Lee Yul-ye, who pitches and bats, is considered a large catcher with excellent defense with his 183 cm tall and 95 kg physique.
SSG’s manager Kim Jae-hyun said, “He has been the starting catcher since his second year as a youth national team player,” and added, “He has outstanding game management skills. We will make him the team’s star player in the future.”
Lee Yul-ye expressed her determination, saying, “I was selected by SSG, so I will become a player representing the team and become the team’s representative wife for 20 years.”
KT Wiz, ranked 9th, selected Seoul High School right-handed pitcher Kim Dong-hyun, who is 193 cm tall, and LG Twins, ranked 10th, selected Seoul High School right-handed pitcher Kim Young-woo.
This year’s draft was conducted in the reverse order of the club rankings from last year: Kiwoom-Hanwha-Samsung-Lotte-KIA-Doosan-NC-SSG-KT-LG. Kiwoom also obtained the 7th pick in the first round through a trade with NC this year. Kiwoom, which received picks from LG, SSG, etc., selected the most with 14 players.
NC, which did not have a first-round pick, selected Sorae High School pitcher Kim Tae-hoon in the second round.
A total of 1,197 people participated in this year’s rookie draft, including 840 high school graduates, 286 college graduates, 56 early draft applicants, and 15 other players including overseas amateurs and professionals. Of these, 110 were selected.
There were 95 high school graduates and 15 college graduates, including those in the early draft. No overseas amateur or professional players were nominated. Yang Je-i (22), the nephew of Yang Dong-geun, the head coach of Ulsan Hyundai Mobis and a mixed-race player, who had attracted much attention, was not named.
(Seoul = News 1)
2024-09-12 13:42:26