Jang Hyun-seok (19, Masan Yongmago) has been on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ radar since he was in middle school, and it’s been a long process. The expectations were so high that the team’s president and vice president in the U.S. sent a congratulatory video during the signing ceremony.

Jang Hyun-seok, the ‘157km Fireballer’, held a press conference on the 14th at the Seoul Dragon City Hotel.

Jang Hyun-seok signed a contract to join Major League Baseball’s prestigious Los Angeles Dodgers for $900,000 (approximately 1.1 billion won) on July 9 (KST). Jang was expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 KBO Draft, but he opted out of the draft to pursue a bigger stage, and the Dodgers sent two pitchers to the Chicago White Sox and secured an international bonus pool before the trade deadline to acquire Jang.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder dominated the high school scene this year, going 3-0 with a 0.93 ERA and 52 strikeouts in nine games. He became the only amateur to earn a spot on the Korean National Team for the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games. At the last Qinglong High School Baseball Tournament, he attracted the attention of scouts from eight major league teams.

The induction ceremony began with a congratulatory video from Dodgers officials. All of the Dodgers’ top officials were in attendance. Dodgers President Andrew Friedman said, “I wanted to say congratulations and welcome to the Dodgers family. With your talent and our coaches, you have a bright future. I can’t wait to talk to you and see you pitch at Dodger Stadium.”

Gaylon Kerr, Vice President of Player Personnel and Pro Scouting, was then introduced and said, “Welcome to Dodger Blue. We’ve known Jang for a long time and are excited about his bright future. We can’t wait to get him here and start our development process. Congratulations again and good luck.”

Finally, Dodgers Director of Minor League Pitching Rob Hill said, “Congratulations. Welcome to the Dodgers. I’ve been following you for a long time and think very highly of your abilities. We can’t wait for him to come to the U.S. to work out and realize his full potential.”

The Dodgers have reportedly had their eye on Jang since his racing days. John Dibble, the Dodgers’ director of scouting for the Pacific region, who attended the press conference with Jang, said, “I’ve been watching him since he was in middle school. We had seven scouts watching him, and all seven of them recognized his talent, so that’s how the process went. It feels great to have him join us.”

“Of course, his fastball, physicality, and changeup were all impressive, but one thing that stood out was his desire to win. I liked his competitiveness, his fighting spirit, and the way he played on the mound. You can see that in the guys who are pitching in the major leagues. I could see that in Jang Hyun-seok.”온라인바카

Dean Kim, the Dodgers’ international scout in charge of Korea, was intrigued by Jang’s curiosity. “His