Участник:"Most of them are impossible unless Park Ji-hwan is not available."
The SSG Landers has been one of the teams that rarely called fielders in the first pick of the rookie draft since the days of the SK Wyverns, its predecessor. When there was a first pick, the name of the pitcher in the area was called first without fail, and it did not change much because it was an all-out draft. As a result, the amateur fielder who received the first pick of SSG had to go up to Lee Hyun-seok (31, retired), the first pick in 2015, and Choi Jeong (36), the first pick in 2005, was the last to be limited to infielders.
Pitchers were strong in the 2024 KBO Rookie Draft, which was held in September this year. Some scouts said it would not be strange if all 10 teams nominate pitchers in the first round. However, SSG named Park Ji-hwan (18), a third-year shortstop at Se High School, as it acquired its 10th pick last year. It was the first time in this draft as a fielder and the first time in 19 years as an SSG team.
Park Ji-hwan, who is 183 centimeters tall and weighs 75 kilograms and is a right-handed hitter, was one of the few field prospects who was considered to be a first-round player in his third year of high school this year. He played in 20 high school baseball games this year, posting an outstanding performance of 0.444 (28 hits in 63 at-bats) with one home run, 18 RBIs, 22 runs, five stolen bases, 18 four outs, three strikeouts, and an on-base percentage of 0.573 slugging percentage (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 0.683 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 1.256, and was recognized for his outstanding contact ability.
The selection committee, which presented Park with the Star Award at the Futures Star Awards held last month, said, "They are mid- to long-range players who have good contact with each other. As the bat speed is relatively fast, the batting speed is good, and since they are a spray heater type, the direction of hitting is evenly formed. I also like shortstop's defense."
In particular, Park has been praised for his contact skills. "Park Ji-hwan's ability to cope with breaking balls is remarkable. He has few strikeouts and good pitching skills, which enable him to adapt himself to the pro league. If he gains strength, he will become a good hitter," the selection committee said.
Usually, it is not easy to hear that right-handed hitters with high school graduates can easily adapt to the professional league. Probably, right-handed hitters take at least three to four years to adapt, compared to left-handed hitters, as the level of right-handed pitchers in baseball and professional leagues is very different. Against this backdrop, another KBO club official told Star News, "I think Park Ji-hwan will be able to adapt to the first team in his first year since debut. If Park doesn't work, I don't think most promising right-handed hitters will be possible."
I was wondering how high Park's contact ability made him earn such high marks. An SSG source told Star News that Park was born with good teamwork. Usually, right-handed hitters have a lower percentage of hitters than left-handed hitters in his class, but Park's high school hitting percentage of hitters was small, but 70 percent of hitters came out. "This is how high the percentage of hitters who are good at hitting right-handed is 30-50 percent," he explained.
Of course, this is the story of when the body is built to the level of a professional. No matter how good the coordination and contact skills are, it is hard to produce good batting results if the body does not have the strength to withstand the fast and heavy balls of a professional. There is also homework to build physical strength to play 144 games while still growing up.
Park Ji-hwan also knows exactly what he lacks and what he needs to do. "Even though we are 140 kilometers per hour at the same speed, the tip of a professional ball is different," Park told reporters after the "Future Star Awards" ceremony. "I think I am adapting myself to fastballs because I have played on balls over 150 kilometers per hour in high school, but I will focus on building up timing, wrist strength, and physique," Park said. "Since professional baseball plays 144 games a year, physical strength is important. I plan to gain weight and muscles through training or diet during the off-season. I will try to adjust my physical strength to match the season."
The SSG infielders were not able to find players in their 20s for a long time until shortstop Park Sung-han (25) appeared. In SSG, which is seeking a generational shift, the infielders, whose main players are mostly in their 30s, including Choi Jeong (36), Kim Sung-hyun (36), and Oh Tae-gon (32), are considered a must-have task. If Park Ji-hwan settles down on the first-tier stage as everyone expected, the SSG, which is seeking a generational shift, will likely have a tailwind.