Masan Yongma High School pitcher Jang Hyun-seok has reportedly received official offers from at least three major league teams. It’s looking more and more like he’ll be joining the US Major League Baseball instead of the KBO.
According to MK Sports, Jang Hyun-seok recently received official offers from “at least” three major league teams. A baseball insider familiar with the game told MK Sports on July 31, “We understand that two National League teams and one American League team have recently offered official contracts to Jang Hyun-seok. It is expected that Jang will decide on his future as soon as possible.”
Jang Hyun-seok recently pitched in an official tournament. On July 24, he pitched in the quarterfinals of the Cheongnyonggi National High School Baseball Tournament against Jangchung High School at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, and threw 6.2 innings of three-hit ball with 14 strikeouts and four walks.
Scouts from all 10 KBO clubs, as well as scouts from several major league clubs, gathered to watch him pitch. When Jang Hyun-seok threw a fastball with a maximum velocity of 155 km/h, there were gasps among the scouts.
Speaking to the press after his quarterfinal appearance against Cheongnyonggi, Jang said, “I had a lot of fun throwing the ball against the Jang Chung-go players. My teammates all worked hard and fought well enough. I even roared loudly because I wanted to win, and I wanted to raise the morale of my teammates. Personally, I was disappointed with my throw to first base when I took the mound. When I reached the pitch count limit of 75 pitches, I told my coach that I would throw until the end, and he believed in me, so I pitched as hard as I could until the last regular inning.”
Jang has said that he will decide his future after the Cheongryonggi tournament. He has reportedly had in-depth discussions with Major League Baseball teams.
“I’m still thinking about it,” Jang said. However, I think I will make a decision before August,” he emphasized.
Jang’s decision to stay in South Korea or move to the United States could completely change the landscape of the upcoming first round of the rookie draft. At this point, the top three picks are Jang Hyun-seok, Hwang Jun-seo (Jangchung Go), and Kim Taek-yeon (Incheon Go). If Jang Hyun-seok stays in the KBO, it’s likely he’ll end up in a Hanwha Eagles uniform, as they hold the No. 1 overall pick. If that happens, the Doosan Bears and Lotte Giants, who naturally hold the next two picks, will likely select Hwang Jun-seo and Kim Taek-yeon, respectively. 스포츠토토
However, if they make it to the U.S. and become “Mehyeon-seok,” Hanwha and Doosan will take Hwang Jun-seo and Kim Taek-yeon, respectively, leaving Lotte, the next team in line, in a bit of a quandary. There are a lot of good high school pitchers this year, but after the top three, it’s like the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period.
Recently, Seoul High School pitcher Lee Chansol signed with the Boston Red Sox and decided to go to the United States. Following Shim Jun-seok (Pittsburgh Pirates) last year, there is a rush for big high school pitchers to go to the United States.
Jang Hyun-seok also reportedly weighed the attractive offers from major league clubs. Throughout the Cheongryonggi tournament, most clubs