Hwang Jun-seo (18), the left-hander ace of Jangchung High School, received the honor of being selected as the first overall pick.메이저놀이터

Hwang Jun-seo was selected as the first overall pick by the Hanwha Eagles at the ‘2024 KBO Rookie Draft’ held at the Grand Ballroom of the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul on the 14th.

Hwang Jun-seo, who has received attention as a large left-hander prospect since his second year, was evaluated as the biggest draft pick as Jang Hyun-seok (Masan Yongmag High School) advanced to the major league. This year, he played in 15 games (49⅔ innings) with 6 wins, 2 losses, and an average ERA of 2.16, and also played in 3 games (12⅓ innings) with 1 win, 2 losses, and an average ERA of 3.97 at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup (World Youth Baseball Championship). achieved good results.

Hanwha General Manager Son Hyuk said, “Our scouts made recommendations all year long. He was happy to nominate Hwang Jun-seo, saying, “He is a pitcher that everyone wants, and he is a player that we will want even more in the future.” He continued, “I selected him with the expectation that he would compete for the 5th starting spot next year. “In the training part, I already thought a lot about how to prepare my body for the final camp,” he said, adding that he expected Hwang Jun-seo to help him right away next year.

“It’s definitely a good opportunity to be a starting pitcher. Hwang Jun-seo said, “I want to do it, but it doesn’t matter whether I’m a starter, bullpen, or position,” and added, “I want to become a pitcher who will be looked after in crisis situations in the future. I think I am a pitcher who has good game management skills and the ability to strike out batters. “I will show you that I can easily compete with batters,” he said, sharing his feelings about being nominated as a professional.

At Hanwha, uniform number 15 has a special meaning. As the number worn by club legend Koo Dae-seong, Hanwha fans consider number 15 to be similar to the number retired. Hwang Jun-seo, who said, “I want to wear number 15,” added, “I continued to have good grades after wearing number 15. “He will go pro and work harder to become a player worthy of his uniform number,” he expressed his strong aspirations.

Hwang Jun-seo was evaluated early on as likely to be selected as the first overall pick. However, right-hander Kim Taek-yeon threatened Hwang Jun-seo’s position by showing great success with 2 wins in 6 games (16 innings) and an ERA of 0.88 while pitching 5 games in a row at the U-18 Baseball World Cup.

Hwang Jun-seo, who said, “I thought I didn’t know what would happen until my name was called,” laughed and said, “It’s an honor to be nominated first among such good players.” Next, when asked about his role model, he said, “In the major leagues, I refer to Josh Hader (San Diego). “I’m learning a lot from watching all of the domestic pitchers,” he said.

Hwang Jun-seo, who was likely to go to Hanwha as the first overall pick, said, “I continued to watch Hanwha with interest. I also saw a winning streak. Even if I tried not to be conscious of it, I couldn’t help but do it. Winning as a team comes first rather than my personal goal. “I will do my best to help the team reach as high as possible,” he said. He continued, “I think Hanwha’s uniform is pretty. “It suits me well,” he said with a smile.