Duksoo High School left-hander Jung Hyun-woo went first overall at the annual amateur draft for the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on Wednesday.
The Kiwoom Heroes made the 18-year-old pitcher the first No. 1 pick in franchise history at the draft held at a Seoul hotel.
Jung throws a fastball that reaches over 150 kilometers per hour (93.2 miles per hour) and also mixes in a forkball and a curveball.
Duksoo High School pitcher Jung Hyun-woo poses after being selected first overall by the Kiwoom Heroes at the Korea Baseball Organization draft at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul on Sept. 11, 2024. (Yonhap)
Duksoo High School pitcher Jung Hyun-woo poses after being selected first overall by the Kiwoom Heroes at the Korea Baseball Organization draft at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul on Sept. 11, 2024. (Yonhap)
In 16 games this season, Jung went 8-0 with a 0.75 ERA in 16 outings, covering 48 1/3 innings. He struck out 70 and walked nine, while giving up just 22 hits.
“I’ve been working so hard for this moment, and
I am really happy that it paid off today,” Jung said in a Heroes uniform bearing his name on the back. “I am sure fans will have high expectations of the No. 1 pick, and so I will go into the new season with a sense of responsibility. I will try to live up to the name of the ball club and become a hero.”
Jung said his forkball will be his bread-and-butter pitch.
“I have so much confidence in that pitch, and I think I can get hitters out with that pitch as a pro, too,” the teenager added.
He said he idolizes Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, a three-time National League (NL) Cy Young Award winner and the 2014 NL MVP.
“If I can have the curveball and the slider as great as his, I will be able to win a bunch of games in the pro league,” Jung said.
Jeonju High School pitcher Jeong Woo-joo poses after being selected second overall by the Hanwha Eagles at the Korea Baseball Organization draft at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul on Sept. 11, 2024. (Yonhap)
Jeonju High School pitcher Jeong Woo-joo pose
s after being selected second overall by the Hanwha Eagles at the Korea Baseball Organization draft at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul on Sept. 11, 2024. (Yonhap)
The order of selection was determined by the reverse order of finish in 2023.
The NC Dinos would have had the seventh choice based on that, but they sent that pick to the Heroes in May this year in a trade for infielder Kim Whee-jip. The Heroes were the only team with two selections in the first round.
Heroes general manager Ko Hyung-wook said he and his scouts began analyzing candidates for the first overall choice at the end of May, and Jung emerged as the clear favorite.
“He was a cut above the rest of the pack,” Ko said. “We continued to monitor his progress and made him our No. 1 choice.”
With the No. 2 pick, the Eagles selected Jeonju High School right-hander Jeong Woo-joo.
His fastball has topped at 156 kph this year, and he is believed to be the hardest thrower in this year’s class. Jeong also drew interest from Major League Baseball clubs.
“My goal was to go No. 1 overall, but I am 10,000 percent satisfied with where I am now,” said Jeong, who went 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA in 16 outings this season. He recorded 80 strikeouts against 17 walks in 45 2/3 innings.
Eagles general manager Son Hyuk, a former pitcher, noted Jeong’s “smooth delivery” and his ability to pitch both in the rotation and out of the bullpen.
“Plus, you can’t teach the kind of velocity that he has,” Son said.
The Lions, based in the southeastern city of Daegu, selected a local kid with the No. 3 pick: Daegu High School left-hander Bae Chan-seung.
The top five selections were all pitchers.
Source: Yonhap News Agency