Masan Yongmago “Ace” Jang Hyun-seok’s journey to the U.S. Major League Baseball will be smooth, but high school baseball experts say he still has some work to do.
Jang Hyun-seok pitched one inning of two-hit ball with one walk and two strikeouts in the eighth inning of the 57th Presidential High School Baseball Tournament against Daegu Sangwon High School at Mokdong Stadium on Thursday with his team leading 10-1.
He was the team’s fourth pitcher to take the mound in the bottom of the eighth. He gave up a walk to Kang Tae-wan with runners on first and second. With the bases loaded, he gave up another wild pitch and then gave up back-to-back singles.
He topped out at 154 mph, but his delivery was shaky. Fortunately, he was able to preserve his team’s 10-5 lead without giving up any more runs, but he couldn’t have been happier. After the game, Jang Hyun-seok said, “I feel like I didn’t practice enough. “I took a break after the last Cheongryonggi tournament, and I didn’t throw much. Still, I didn’t expect it to be this bad,” he regretted.
For Jang Hyun-seok, the tournament could be his last before entering the major leagues. He will not apply for the KBO’s 2024 First-Year Player Draft and will continue to negotiate with major league clubs.
Jang’s management company, Ricoh Sports Agency, said on Jan. 1, “After much consideration, Jang Hyun-seok has decided to challenge the major leagues without submitting an application to the KBO Draft.”
“I wanted to play at the highest level, it was a dream. My goal is to try my best and reach the big leagues as soon as possible.” To achieve his goal, Jang will need more thorough preparation and practice.
A Pro A team official who was looking at high school baseball players ahead of the KBO rookie draft in September said, “He seems to be a good pitcher. He’s a high school student, but he’s mature.” However, “He still seems to be throwing only with power. He has a lot of potential, but he needs to prepare well,” he emphasized.
In addition, Jang Hyun-seok will have to compete in the Hangzhou Asian Games in September under the Korean flag. “I was very happy to be selected for the national team. I received a lot of congratulations. As the youngest member of the team, I will work hard to learn and pitch confidently on the mound.”
International competitions and big league challenges are ahead. “To be successful, you need to be able to throw to the left and right corners of the strike zone, not just with power. In high school, you can get by with power, but the professional game is different.”토스카지노
“You’re going to experience a lot of failures. It will be bigger. There is a difference in physical fitness and skill training compared to the professional world because you have to study while in high school. The system itself is also different.”
Of course, Jang Hyun-seok is also studying. He said he watches a lot of American major league pitchers, especially San Diego Padres pitcher Darvish Yu, rather than Korean pitchers.
“I’ve been watching and studying a lot of American major league pitchers,” Jang said, “Darvish throws short and hard. I want to be one of the best in the world,” he said.
Although he is one of the best in high school, he still has a long way to go as he has big goals. That’s why he has seniors who support and advise him. The interest in Jang Hyun-seok continues to grow to see how quickly he can reach his goals.