Korean One Two Punch’s Jang Hyun-seok, Choi Hyun-il, Dodgers’ future “Please look forward to it.”
Jang Hyun-suk, a native of Yongma High School in Masan, chose to go to the U.S. in exchange for a down payment of 900,000 U.S. dollars with the LA Dodgers last fall. This year will be his first season as a professional player.
Jang Hyun-seok said in an interview with MHN Sports, which he met at the Dodgers’ minor league spring camp in Glendale, Arizona, on the 26th (Korea time), “I’m not sick and I’m in very good physical condition. I’m doing well without any other problems except for the language,” smiling brightly.
“I’m preparing well to play the season in a good environment,” he said, adding, “As it’s my first season, I’m focusing on adapting to a new environment without much greed.”
“Hyeon Seok’s physical condition (191cm/90kg) is really good,” said Dean Kim, a scout for Dodgers’ Asia-Pacific region who met him at the same venue. “Hyeon Seok’s physical condition is really good. If he gets bigger than now and grows under systematic management, he can become a really good pitcher.”
Despite his tall height, Jang’s flexible pitching form and ball control are considered advantages. He boasts a maximum speed of 158 kilometers, but also an excellent average speed of his fastballs with 2,400 RPM. On top of that, he can throw sliders, changeups and curves. When he was a senior in high school, his average WHIP was 0.79, which is as good as that. This figure is only possible when he has good ball control.
According to scout Kim, Jang will start this season in the rookie league in the minor league under Dodgers. If he shows stable performance here, he will be able to advance to Single A at the end of the season.
Choi Hyun-il, who moved to the U.S. in 2019 and is preparing for his fifth minor league season, is important this year. Even considering 2020 when the minor league season was canceled due to COVID-19, it is now an age to play in the top league.
Scout Kim said, “This year (Choi) Hyun-il really prepared a lot during the offseason. He has built his body well when entering the camp. I am looking forward to this season because he is not sick at all and is in good condition.”
Choi Hyun-il played a total of four seasons in the Minor League until last year, recording 17 wins and 13 losses with an ERA of 3.37. He had good ostensible performance but failed to throw as many as 56 games he played in the past four years. It was because of injury.
After the 2021 season ended, Choi had high expectations enough to receive the Pitcher of the Year Award in the Dodgers’ minor league. However, in 2022, he started off strong, looking up higher, but ended the season unfortunately due to elbow injury after just one game in Single A.
After avoiding surgery and completing rehabilitation well, the Dodgers included him on the Arizona Autumn League roster, where only top minor league prospects can play, and considered him to gain greater experience. This shows how much the Dodgers cherishes Choi Hyun-il.
“If (Choi) Hyun-il stays healthy in the spring camp, I think he will start the season in Double A this year,” scout Kim said. “No one gives pitcher of the year award to anyone. That’s how well he has been recognized for his talent and performance. He is a very smart pitcher. I can’t wait to see both (Choi) Hyun-il and (Jang) Hyun-seok.”
BY: 토토사이트