Lee, Jung-Hoo, and Ahn, Woo-Jin have a great rookie class to fall back on
The Kiwoom Heroes were one of the favorites in this year’s draft.
They were able to pick up to 14 rookies by acquiring an extra pick in each of the first through third rounds through trades, and they were very fortunate to be able to select six of them in the top three rounds. As expected, Kiwoom was able to sweep all the big names and emerge as the biggest winner of this year’s draft.
Kiwoom Heroes sweep Yu Mingzhu
No more fear of next year/the year after!
In the 2024 Rookie Draft, which took place on April 14 at the Grand Ballroom of the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul, the Kiwoom Heroes made the following selections.
First round, first pick: Seoul High pitcher Jeon Jun-pyo
Second round, first pick: Jangchung High pitcher Kim Yoon-ha
Round 2 first: Seongnam Go infielder Lee Jae-sang
Round 2 Second: Jeonju Pitcher Son Hyun-ki
Round 3 first: Bibongo pitcher Lee Woo-hyun
Round 3 second: Seadoo pitcher Kim Yeon-ju
Round 4: Gyeongnam High-Sungkyunkwan University infielder Ko Young-woo
Round 5: Masan Yongmago-Dongwon National University of Science and Technology pitcher Kim Joo-hoon
6th round: Gwangju First High infielder Song Ji-hoo (Song Jin-hyeong before the name change)
Round 7: Yulgok High catcher Kim Ji-sung
Round 8: Chungam High outfielder Park Chae-ul
Round 9: Daejeon High pitcher Park Bum-joon
Round 10: Gunsan Sangil High pitcher Park Seung-ho
Round 11: Baejae High infielder Shim Hwiyoon
As if this weren’t bad enough, Two-Three picked up some big-name players at the right time. Seoul High ace Jeon Jun-pyo, Jang Chung High pitcher Kim Yoon-ha, and Bibong High speed sidearm Lee Woo-hyun are all pitchers who can easily reach 150 kilometers. If just one of them breaks out, Kiwoom’s mound could be even higher next year. Especially with the loss of Ahn Woo-jin, the rookies will need to step up. Due to the nature of Kiwoom, it is likely that they will get at least one first-team start next year.
However, the nominations of pitchers with immediate power continued afterward. This is because there is also Kim Yeon-ju, a pitcher from Seo-Ad who is looking beyond Ko Woo-seok, and Son Hyun-ki, a left-handed ace from Jeonju. The five high school rookies will literally have to compete until they are ‘bloody’. The players who are quicker to settle into the first team could be used longer. Right now, it looks like mentally tough sidearm Lee Woo-hyun and first-round picks Jeon Jun-pyo and Kim Yoon-ha have a slight edge.
Interestingly, there were also two instant power infielders selected. Seongnam Go infielder Lee Jae-sang had the potential to be as good as Park Ji-hwan (Segadang-SSG) or Yeo Dong-gun (Seoul Go-Dusan) among this year’s shortstop talent. Air, water, and state are not to blame. The same goes for Sungkyunkwan University infielder Ko Young-woo. He made a name for himself through the media, but his nail-biting third base defense against the seniors of Choi Kangbuk OB made a big impact. Both are capable of playing immediately.메이저사이트
After the fifth round, there are still plenty of talented players who could make a run at the first team. Yulgok High catcher Kim Ji-sung earned a passing grade for his defense amid a lack of catching talent this year, while Chungam High outfielder Park Chae-ul was once rated as the top high school outfielder. Tech pitcher Kim Joo-hoon has a lot of potential as a left-handed pitcher.
Gwangju First High infielder Song Ji-hoo, Daejeon High pitcher Park Bum-joon, Sangil High pitcher Park Seung-ho, and Baejae High infielder Shim Hwiyoon are waiting in the wings. They have the qualities to grow into the future of Kium after two to three years of development. They’re still in high school, so it’s worth giving them time to develop.