There is optimism that Jang Hyun-seok (19, Masan Yongmago), who recently signed with the prestigious Los Angeles Dodgers, will make his major league debut in 2027.
Jang Hyun-seok was ranked 22nd among the Dodgers’ 30 prospects in the prospect rankings for each of the 30 clubs released by MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, on July 17 (KST).
Jang signed a contract with the Dodgers for $900,000 (about 1.2 billion won) on Sept. 9 and held a grand induction ceremony at the Seoul Dragon City Hotel on Sept. 14. The high school pitcher was expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 KBO First-Year Player Draft, but he decided to forgo the draft and cross the Pacific Ocean. The Dodgers were willing to use their international bonus pool to acquire Jang, sending two pitchers to the Chicago White Sox before the trade deadline.
MLB.com, which ranked Jang at No. 22, said, “Jang was projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the September 2023 KBO First-Year Player Draft, but decided to skip the KBO to pursue his dream of playing in the major leagues. The Dodgers, who opened the door for Korean players in the major leagues with the signing of Chan Ho Park in 1994, spent $900,000 to acquire Jang and traded two pitchers to secure the international bonus pool.”
Jang’s strengths include a variety of pitches, including fastballs. “Jang has strength in three pitches. He has a four-seam fastball that averages 93-95 mph (149-152 km/h) and tops out at 97 mph (156 km/h), which can add power when he utilizes his height. He also has a powerful slider that sits 84-87 mph (135-140 km/h) and a curve that sits 76-82 mph (122-131 km/h). He’s got good command of his changeup.”
Regarding Jang’s changeup, “His 82-86 mph (131-138 km/h) changeup isn’t as good as his other pitches, but it has a lot of upside and could be an average pitch with further development.”
Jang expressed his desire to become a starting pitcher like Clayton Kershaw, Chan Ho Park, and Hyun-jin Ryu during the Dodgers’ induction ceremony. MLB.com wrote, “His delivery needs a little more work, but his arm is working well and he doesn’t seem to have a problem finding the strike zone. He should be a 3-4 starter or better,” said MLB.com. He projects Jang’s big league debut to be in the 2027 season. 메이저사이트
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 was the only amateur to make the national team for the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, and attracted the attention of scouts from eight major league teams, including the Dodgers, at the recent Cheongryonggi High School Baseball Tournament.
Zhang has a four-seam fastball that reaches up to 157 mph, as well as an elite arsenal of pitches including a curve, slider, and changeup.
According to MLB.com’s projections, Jang is just three seasons away from becoming a major leaguer in 2024, joining Park Chan-ho and Ryu Hyun-jin.