“I am thrilled to be returning to my hometown after four years.”
Gwangju Songwon University left-handed pitcher Jeong Hyun-soo (22) is from Busan. He is a native who graduated from Dae-Yeon Cho~Busan Middle School~Busan High School. Pitcher Han Seung-ju, who joined the Hanwha Eagles in 2020, is a classmate of Busan High School, and Lotte Giants pitcher Park Jin, who debuted in 2019, is a year’s junior from elementary, middle, and high school. His teammates, who had gone through hardships together, played for their coveted hometown team, Lotte, or stepped on the mound at Sajik Stadium, which he had dreamed of, but Jeong Hyun-soo, who was not selected by a professional team, had to leave his hometown for a while to attend college.토토사이트
Still, he never gave up on his dream. In fact, Jung Hyun-soo sweated several times more than in his high school days and rose to the top among college pitchers. He was selected by KBO league legends and made his name known on the baseball entertainment program ‘Best Baseball’. And Lotte, which had never taken its eyes off him since he was a local player, willingly exercised its right to select him as the 3rd pick (13th overall) in the second round of the 2024 rookie draft for him as he grew further. He was the fastest among the 296 college players who applied for the draft.
●“He is now a proven pitcher in college baseball.”
Hyunsoo Jeong was a beast. He did appear as a pitcher during his time at Busan High School, but he played much more games as a fielder at the time. He needed time to grow as a pitcher. It was in his second year of college that he began to stand out. He took a big leap forward last year with 10 wins and 1 loss and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.58 in 19 games, and this season he recorded 4 wins and 2 losses and an ERA of 2.09 in 11 games. Jeong Hyeon-soo said, “I was disappointed because I didn’t get nominated four years ago, but looking back, I was lacking and had a lot of things to fill, so I wasn’t selected,” and added, “That’s why I played baseball really hard for four years.”
This is growth that Lotte can be proud of. Jeong Hyeon-soo was also highlighted on broadcast as a pitcher with a sharp slider and change-up, as well as precise ball control, as well as a curveball with a large drop. Kwon Young-jun, head of Lotte’s scouting team, said, “He is a player from our hometown, so I know him better than anyone else. He was closer to an outfielder than a pitcher in high school, but he has grown a lot physically and in terms of skills compared to back then.” He continued, “He is a left-hander with excellent feel in his hands, and his control and breaking balls are also excellent. “He is now a proven pitcher in college baseball,” he said, adding, “I knew he was a hard-working player, and you can see how much effort he put in in college.”
●“You have to catch one catch properly first.”
Jeong Hyeon-soo is a rookie next year, but he played with Lee Dae-ho, who retired last year, through broadcasts. It was a great fortune for him as he was a native of Busan and supported Lotte. He said, “When I was young, I started playing baseball after seeing senior Lee Dae-ho at Sajik Stadium. “He used to cheer on his senior while wearing an orange plastic bag, and it was really amazing to play together,” he said. “Senior is the person who taught me how to approach baseball.” He always emphasized, ‘You have to make every catch properly’ and ‘For a professional player, every action is really important.’ ‘Here is not the end. “I also took into account the saying, ‘It’s even more important after you go pro.’” He also added, “I want to step on the Sajik Stadium ground where my senior played as soon as possible.”