It has not been shown to local fans yet, but there is a lot of interest in Jang Hyun-suk, who signed a contract with the LA Dodgers.
MLB.com, the official homepage 안전놀이터 of the Major League Baseball (MLB), has released the midseason prospect rankings for the past three days. On the 15th, the main characters of the 100 MLB prospect rankings were introduced, and on the 16th, the prospect farm rankings of each club were announced. On the 17th (Korean time), the ranking of prospects evaluated as the top 30 for each club was announced, and Jang Hyun-seok was listed as 22nd in the team. MLB.com viewed Jang Hyun-seok’s expected big league debut date (ETA) as 2027.
At first glance, 22nd place in a team may seem low, but upon closer inspection, it is not. First of all, most of the top 10 players in the Dodgers are those who have completed verification in the minor leagues. Kyle Hurt, who recently drew attention for his strong double-A pitching, is in 13th place, and Ryan Peppiot, who has been unable to settle down in the MLB after fighting hard in Triple-A, is also in 10th place. He has yet to throw a single pitch on the American stage. The fact that evaluation agencies such as MLB.com and Baseball America gave Asian high school students, who had not been looked at locally, the 22nd place in the Dodgers team is a result of compliance in their own way.
The scouting report is also positive. MLB.com gave Jang Hyun-seok 60 points for his fastball, slider, and curveball. In the scouting report scoring, which is the lowest score of 80 points and 20 points, 60 points means a plus grade.
MLB.com said, “Jang Hyun-seok has three pitches that are above average (plus grade). ),” he said.
Then, the changeup and control received an average of 50 points. The media said, “The changeup of 82 to 84 miles per hour (about 132 to 135 km) is inferior to other types of pitches, but if further refined, it can become an average level pitch.” He said, “I can grow beyond that. I expect to debut in the major leagues in 2027.”
He is not far behind the top pitchers the Dodgers recently signed and debuted in the big leagues. Walker Buehler, who was picked in the first round by the Dodgers and developed into an ace, received 60 fastballs, 55 curveballs, 55 sliders, 55 first pitches, and 50 changeups in the early days of the minor leagues.
Bobby Miller, who made his MLB debut this season and is recording an average ERA of 7-2 and 3.70, also received 65 fastballs, 55 sliders and 50 changeups during his minor league days. The first pitch was only 45 points. Unlike the two graduates of college, it is quite encouraging that Jang Hyun-seok, a high school student, has three plus grades in his evaluation.
If he plays the minor leagues in earnest, his future evaluation may also change significantly. The evaluation of international prospects tends to change greatly if they show that they are effective on the American stage as they have a high level of completeness right now. The Dodgers have the best training environment in the MLB, so there are plenty of opportunities. The proof belongs to Jang Hyun-seok.