‘Even at the cost of two prospects’… Why the Dodgers chose Jang Hyun-seok
John Deeble, Los Angeles Dodgers Pacific Region scouting director, explained the background of recruiting Jang Hyun-seok (19).
On the 14th, a press conference was held at the Dragon City Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where Jang Hyun-seok joined the Dodgers.
John Dibble, director of scouting 메이저놀이터 for the Pacific region, Dean Kim, international scout in charge of Korea, and Lee Ye-ryang, CEO of Ricoh Sports Agency, attended the event.
Debble director said, “I started watching Jang Hyun-seok in 2020, when the Corona 19 pandemic ended. Seven scouts have been constantly watching. All seven of them highly evaluated Jang Hyun-seok’s potential and were able to proceed with the process. I’m happy to be,” he said.
The Dodgers have a deep relationship with Korean players. Starting with ‘Korean Express’ Park Chan-ho, Choi Hee-seop, and most recently ‘Korean Monster’ Ryu Hyun-jin (36), all wore Dodger Blue uniforms.
Now, a fourth player who has a relationship with the Dodgers has appeared. It is Jang Hyun-seok, the pitcher of Masan Yongma High School.
Jang Hyun-seok, who was called “the biggest fish in high school,” had an average ERA of 0.33 with 3 wins and no losses in 7 games in high school this year, 49 strikeouts in 27⅓ innings, 12 walks, and only 1 earned run.
Instead of participating in the KBO rookie draft, Jang Hyun-seok chose to go to the United States. And on the 8th, he signed a contract with the Dodgers for a down payment of $900,000. He was one step closer to his dream of becoming a major leaguer.
Jang Hyun-seok said, “It’s an honor to wear the Dodgers uniform. They watched over me for a long time.” I chose the Dodgers because it was the club,” he said.
In fact, the Dodgers put a lot of effort into recruiting Jang Hyun-seok. There is no bonus pool left to sign international amateurs. So, he secured funds by trading two promising players, and invested them in Jang Hyun-seok.
Dibble director said, “It was fortunate. With the help of President Friedman and Vice President Gaylan Kerr, we were able to proceed with the trade. I thought it was right to spend the down payment on Jang Hyun-suk. Many scouts had posted (good) reports, so I did it with confidence.” Explained.
What aspects of Jang Hyun-seok did the Dodgers pay close attention to?
Dibble director said, “There are many things, such as speed and breaking pitches, but among them, the desire to win, the competitive spirit, and the fighting spirit on the mound stand out. I see pitchers like that in the major leagues, and I can see it here (Korea).” praised the fighting spirit of
What was even more special was the comparison of Jang Hyun-seok with Josh Beckett (Boston), who won the World Series MVP. Beckett made his major league debut in 2001 and led the Florida Marlins (now Miami Marlins) to their first World Series championship in 2003. In 2007, he moved to Boston and is a winning contractor who led them to another World Series victory. In both 2003 and 2007, he was honored with the World Series MVP award. He also played for the Dodgers from 2012 to 2014. He has a 3.88 earned run average with 138 wins and 106 losses in 335 major league games.
He said, “Before scouting, I coached the minor leagues in Miami. At the time, I thought that Beckett’s curve and Jang Hyun-seok’s curve were similar.” Why do you sign a contract with a player who catches 3-4? At the amateur level, I used to catch 20 each. This time, while watching Jang Hyeon-seok’s match (Blue Dragon Quarterfinals 14K), I remembered the conversation and it was fun.”
Now, for Jang Hyun-suk, the future is important. He has to prove his worth. The Dodgers also went into management. The pitching program has already been delivered at the club level.
Dibble director said, “Our club conducts professional wrestling by first identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the players and then accurately checking the physical condition.” sent me a training program, so I’ve already started it in Korea.”
