All eyes will be on the Cheongryonggi National High School Baseball Tournament at Mokdong Stadium on 24 July. 카지노 Masan Yongmago pitchers Jang Hyun-seok and Jang Chung-go Hwang Jun-seo, who are the No. 1 and 2 picks in the upcoming 2024 KBO Draft, will meet in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Masan Yongmago and Jang Chung-go will meet in the quarter-finals of the Cheongnyonggi on 24 July at 12pm at Mokdong Baseball Stadium in Seoul.
Jang Chung-go won their round of 16 match against Yushin High School 4-2 on 20 July. On that day, Hwang Jun-seo pitched 3.2 innings, throwing 67 pitches with four hits, one walk and two strikeouts.
Incheon High pitcher Kim Taek-yeon is fast becoming one of the “top three” pitchers in the upcoming rookie draft. Photo by Kim Geun-han
Masan Yongmago won a 10-1 seventh inning cold game victory over Bibong High School in the round of 16 on the 21st. Jang Hyun-seok did not pitch that day. Jang Hyun-seok pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless relief against Gwangju Gwangjin High School on the 19th, striking out six and walking one in 47 pitches.
With an extra day of rest due to the tournament’s rain delay, both teams will be able to send their ace pitchers Jang Hyun-seok and Hwang Jun-seo to the quarter-final mound in better shape. The match-up between the two pitchers, who are rated as the No.1 and No.2 high school pitchers this year, was destined to happen.
The outcome of the Masan Yongmago match will be of particular interest to Jang Hyun-seok, as he plans to decide whether to go overseas after the Cheongryonggi tournament. Jang Hyun-seok has reportedly received a lot of interest from US Major League Baseball clubs in recent years. Faced with the option of playing in the major leagues or being drafted into the KBO, Jang is keeping his mouth shut.
In the end, Jang hopes to use his pitching in the Blue Dragon Games to further impress Hanwha and other major league clubs. With the deadline for the KBO draft approaching on 15 August, Jang is expected to make a decision on his future sooner rather than later. The quarter-finals against Jang Chung-go, who is the favourite to win the title and rival Hwang Jun-seo, will be the stage where Jang Hyun-seok will be able to show his true colours.
A scout from one of the clubs said, “It seems that Jang Hyun-seok is seriously considering entering the major leagues as he hasn’t made a clear decision so far. If Jang Hyun-seok goes out of the country, it will make a big difference in the first-round selection.”
Masan Yongmago’s Jang Hyun-seok (left) and Jang Chung-go’s Hwang Jun-seo (right) will face off in the Cheongnyonggi quarterfinals on 24 July. Photo by Kim Geun-han, Baseball Korea
Like Jang Hyun-seok, all eyes will be on Hwang Jun-seo’s pitching in the quarter-finals. If Jang Hyun-seok decides to head to the United States, Hanwha, which holds the first overall pick, will likely select Hwang Jun-seo. Conversely, if Jang Hyun-seok stays, Doosan, who holds the second overall pick, could get their long-held dream of Doo Jun-seo.
The biggest question for Doosan is who they will use their first-round pick on if Jang Hyun-sik goes to the US and Hanwha takes Hwang Jun-seo. Currently, with less than two months to go until the draft, the general consensus is that Incheon High pitcher Kim Taek-yeon is the most likely candidate.
A former scout said, “There has been a lot of talk about the ‘TOP 2’ system of Jang Hyun-seok and Hwang Jun-seo, but I think it’s safe to say that it’s ‘TOP 3’ including Kim Taek-yeon. The overall evaluation of the clubs towards Kim Taek-yeon has really improved. He is regarded as the next generation of national finishing talent after Oh Seung-hwan and Ko Woo-seok. Even compared to Hwang Jun-seo, he is not too competitive.”
Doosan is also known to have been keeping a close eye on Hwang Jun-seo and Kim Taek-yeon for their first-round picks. With so many quality pitching options in this year’s rookie draft, Doosan is likely to use its second-round pick to select the highest-rated pitching talent remaining in the order. With Kim’s meteoric rise, Doosan’s stance has become somewhat more relaxed.