It’s been four years since I left my hometown, so it’s a new feeling to be back.”
Jung Hyun-soo (22), a left-handed pitcher at Gwangju Songwon University, is from Busan. He graduated from Daeyeoncho, Busan Middle, and Busan High. Pitcher Han Seung-ju, who joined the Hanwha Eagles in 2020, was a classmate at Busan High School, and Lotte Giants pitcher Park Jin-gu, who debuted in 2019, was a year behind him in elementary, middle, and high school. While his teammates were able to play for their hometown team Lotte or take the mound at the Sajik Stadium of their dreams, Jung Hyun-soo was not selected by a professional team and had to leave his hometown for a while to attend college.안전놀이터
But he never gave up on his dream. Instead, he worked several times harder than he did in high school to become one of the biggest college pitchers in the game, and was chosen by KBO legends to appear on the baseball entertainment program “Strongest Baseball.” Lotte, who had never taken their eyes off him since he was a local player, was happy to give him the third pick in the second round (13th overall) of the 2024 KBO Draft. He was the fastest of the 296 college players who applied to participate in the draft.
“He’s a proven pitcher in college baseball now”
Jeong was a beast. He had pitched at Busan High School, but he played a lot more games as an outfielder. He needed time to grow as a pitcher. It wasn’t until his sophomore year that he made his mark. After going 10-1 with a 3.58 ERA in 19 games last year, he took a big leap forward this season, going 4-2 with a 2.09 ERA in 11 games. “I was discouraged when I wasn’t selected four years ago, but looking back, I realized that I wasn’t selected because I wasn’t good enough and had a lot of things to work on,” Jung said, “so I worked really hard for four years.”
It’s a growth that Lotte can be proud of. On the field, Jeong was highlighted as a pitcher with a big curveball, a sharp slider and changeup, and an elaborate arsenal of pitches. “We know him better than anyone else because he’s one of our oldest players,” said Lotte scouting head Kwon Young-joon. “He was more of an outfielder than a pitcher in high school, but he’s grown a lot physically and in terms of technique since then.” “He’s a lefty with great hands, and he has a great fastball and changeup. He is now a proven pitcher in college baseball.” “I always knew he was a hard worker, but I can see how much he worked in college,” he added.
Jeong Hyun-soo participated in the inaugural Hanwha Eagles Bar High School-College All-Star Game on June 6 at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon. Photo courtesy of Jung Hyun-soo
“You have to make the first catch”
Jung Hyun-soo will be a rookie next year, but he played alongside Lee Dae-ho on the broadcast last year. “I started playing baseball when I saw Lee Dae-ho at Sajik Stadium when I was a kid. I used to cheer for him with an orange plastic bag, and it was really exciting to play with him.” “He taught me how to treat baseball. “He always emphasized, ‘You have to make every single catch,’ and ‘Every single action is really important for a professional player.’ He always said, ‘It doesn’t end here. It’s even more important after you go to the pros,'” he said. He added, “I hope to step on the field of Sajik Stadium where he played as soon as possible.”