Jang Hyun-seok (19-Masan Yongmago), the top prospect in high school baseball in 2023, is suffering from an injury. Jang Hyun-seok has been closed since the last Shinsegae E-Mart ship. He hasn’t pitched since the Gyeongbuk Classic in the quarterfinals. Back then, Jang Hyun-seok proved himself to be the best pitcher of the season with six innings of one-hit ball and 12 strikeouts.
However, he hasn’t appeared in a game since then, raising many doubts. There have been reports that Jang Hyun-seok is out for the season due to elbow pain. There was even talk of him having MCL (elbow ligament) surgery after the season.
However, Masan Yongmago head coach Jin Min-soo says it’s ridiculous. “Jang Hyun-seok’s current injury is not his elbow, but his biceps. His biceps muscle keeps coming up, so we are currently managing it. He is a pitcher who has the qualities to represent Korea. He refused to play in the Korea Baseball Organization in order to focus his efforts on the Cheongnyonggi.”
Jang Hyun-seok is currently preparing to pitch for the Cheongnyonggi. He is also expected to start bullpen and live pitching soon. At this point, Jang’s chances of being drafted by the Hanwha Eagles are high. This is because Choi Won-ho, the first team manager of the Hanwha Eagles, thinks very highly of Jang Hyun-seok. When he was the manager of the second team, Choi said, “I don’t have the authority to judge. But I’ve seen both Jang and Hwang throwing this year on TV. I don’t know if it’s because I saw them when they were so good, but Jang Hyun-seok’s performance that day was quite good. It was flawless.” Choi believes that there is a gap between Hwang Jun-seo and Jang Hyun-seok, so barring any major changes, Jang Hyun-seok is likely to be the Hanwha Eagles’ choice.
The only thing that remains is a worst-case scenario where the injury turns out to be serious.
Injuries are sensitive for Hanwha because their No. 1 overall player needs to be a contributor right away, and they can’t afford to wait too long with their current position at the bottom of the standings. On the other hand, there is an internal assessment that Hwang Jun-seo could work in the pros right now.먹튀검증
A scout from the parent club said, “There’s a time difference, but Kim Kwang-hyun didn’t throw 150 kilometers in high school either.” In that sense, Jang Hyun-seok’s injury could be a factor in the overall No. 1 battle.
It’s the Blue Dragon period. Masan Yong-mago will skip the Golden Lion and compete in the Blue Dragon. Hwang Jun-seo doesn’t have a lot of room to be a game-changer based on his current form. It’s all about Jang Hyun-seok. Hanwha Eagles and Doosan Bears fans will be paying close attention to Jang Hyun-seok’s performance in the Cheongryonggi.