The 52nd Bonghwangdaegi National High School Baseball Competition, which kicks off on Friday, coincides with the youth national team convocation period. Players representing different schools, including Chung Hyeon-woo and Kim Tae-hyung (three years for Deoksu High School), Jung Woo-ju and Lee Ho-min (three years for Jeonji High School) and Bae Chan-seung (three years for Daegu High School), will likely be actively used in the first and second rounds, which are the beginning of the competition. However, even if they leave for the national team, there are plenty of things to see. This is a golden opportunity for lower graders who have potential to display their skills to their fullest.
Among scouts of professional teams, outfielder Oh Si-hoo (aged two) of Deoksu High School is drawing the most attention. As the fourth batter at the final round of the Shinsegae E-Mart Cup National High School Baseball Championship held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on April 22, he made two hits (one homer), one walk, two runs and three RBIs from four times at bat, and contributed to his team’s victory. His two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning and a two-run double in the top of the seventh inning, which tied the game 5-5, were the two decisive shots that led to the come-from-behind victory of 8-5.
In the second Hanwha Eagles Cup “High School vs. College All-Star Game” held at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on June 6, Oh scored one hit and three RBIs from four times at bat to lead the team to a landslide 12-2 victory. He beat his seniors and college All-Stars to win the MVP award. In total, Oh has posted an outstanding batting average of 0.398 with 22 runs and 45 RBIs with an OPS of 1.111 in 32 games this season.
One professional baseball team scout praised him for “making good mid- to long-range hits and excellent coping skills by course,” and another scout also explained, “He is not very fast on his feet, but he has a good ability in both offense and defense, showing above average defensive ability as a center fielder.”
Among pitchers, Kim Sung-joon of Gwangju Jeil High School, who is also a third baseman, stands out. As a pitcher for this season, Kim has posted an ERA of 1.80, three wins and no losses, in 12 games. While playing 30.1 innings, he garnered 43 strikeouts and gave up 16 pitches. The on-base allowed rate (WHIP) is 0.93. As a batter, he has a batting average of 0.293 in 25 games, 26 runs, 6 RBIs, and 13 steals, OPS of 0.805.
“Kim Sung-joon has a good pitch of 150 kilometers per hour and has breaking balls such as slider curves,” said a scooter of a local club. “Both pitchers and infielders are possible players on the professional stage.” Another scooter also stressed, “Kim Sung-joon has an excellent physical condition of 185cm and 82kg and a sense of baseball. He is a resource that will lead Korean baseball in the future.” 먹튀검증
It is also expected that the performances of Park Han-kyul (striker) and Kim Young-bin (pitcher) of Jeon High School, “Park Han-kyul (second-year duo) of Jeon High School, have played as top hitters since his freshman year, and he has a batting average of 0.351 this season,” said Joo Chang-hoon, manager of Jeon High School. “He is a candidate for the top round of the professional baseball draft next year.” Regarding Kim Young-bin, he also praised him, “He has a good circle changeup that high school students cannot easily hit while playing 23.1 innings this season.”
In addition, professional team scouts cited Yoo Shin-jae (2 years), an offensive third baseman of Yoo Shin-go, as “an excellent talent that Major League Baseball scouts are interested in for his excellent batting ability and stable defense,” while Park Seok-min (2 years, pitcher)’s son Park Joon-hyun (2 years, Bukil High School), who played in professional baseball, also evaluated that “he can throw 150km/h with excellent physical conditions.”