“My mind is set on 5-on-5. I’ll decide after the Cheongryonggi tournament.”
High school baseball ace Jang Hyun-seok (19, Masan Yongmago) is on the cusp of making it to the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO).
Jang pitched three and one-third innings of scoreless relief against Gwangju Gwangjin High School in the second game of the 78th Cheongnyonggi National High School Baseball Championship at Mokdong Baseball Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, giving up one hit, one walk and striking out six.
Jang Hyun-seok returned to the mound the next day after being removed from the game due to a rain delay the day before. After coming in to save the day’s second inning with the bases loaded, Jang pitched a scoreless inning and then pitched two more innings. In the fifth inning, Jang did his job, getting out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs. His fastball reached 151 km/h. The day before, he had touched 154 km/h.
After the game, Jang said, “It was tough physically. The game started very early (8 a.m.), so I didn’t feel well. The pitchers waiting for me were all good players, so I trusted them and told my coach that I would stop pitching (from the sixth inning).” Behind Jang’s no-hitter, Masan Yongmago won 4-1 and advanced to the third game. He plans to pitch in the third game on the 21st.
Jang Hyun-seok, a high school senior, is considered the “biggest name” in the upcoming KBO rookie draft. Last year, as a sophomore, he showed promise by throwing a fastball up to 156 km/h, and this year, he’s up to 158 km/h and is closing in on his “dream fastball” of 160 km/h. In addition to his fastball, he is also praised for his changeup, including curveballs and sliders. Recently, he has been dominating high school baseball with a modified slider, the ‘sweeper’.
MLB is also paying attention to Jang’s talent. The Cheongryonggi tournament, which started on the 8th, attracted numerous major league scouts from not only the KBO. Scouts from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, and other teams watched Jang pitch.체스카지노
With all the attention, there is also a lot of interest in Jang’s options. For now, Jang is in a dilemma between trying out for the United States and going to Korea. “Right now, I’m thinking about 5-5 or 6-4,” he said. He doesn’t say which side has the upper hand. Instead, he said, “It’s hard for me to think about my personal path right now because there are still a lot of Blue Dragon Games competitions left. I’ll make a decision after the end of the Blue Dragon Games.” The Blue Dragon Competition concludes on April 24.