‘Little Park Chan-ho’ Jang Hyun-seok follows presidential boat to 10 big league wins
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Masan Yongmago pitcher Jang Hyun-seok (19) have signed a deal that was only rumored to be a reality.
Jang’s management company, Rico Sports Agency, officially announced that the Dodgers signed Jang to a contract with a signing bonus of $900,000. It came just two days after we reported that the Dodgers increased the size of the international amateur contract to bring in Jang Hyun-seok.
This gives the Dodgers a pro-Korean roster that includes Park Chan-ho, Ryu Hyun-jin, Choi Hee-seop, Lee Ji-mo (formerly of Lotte), Nam Tae-hyuk (formerly of KT), and Choi Hyun-il (currently in Single-A with the Dodgers). Former Global Advancement School head coach Choi Hyang-nam, known as “Pung Un-ah,” also played for the Dodgers.
In addition, Masan Yongmago will become the second school to produce an overseas player after Ha Jae-hoon (now SSG).
As the size of Jang’s contract indicates, he is considered the best potential player to ever cross the Pacific. Some say he’s even better than Chan Ho Park, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers while still at Hanyang University. His physical condition, pitches, and mindset are all excellent. That’s why the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) and the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) chose him for the Asian Games team.
His competitive temperament is also one of the best among the players who have traveled to the United States. In particular, unlike Shim Jun-seok in his Duksugo days, who was unable to pitch much due to injuries, Jang Hyun-seok pitched long innings in every tournament he participated in, from the E-Mart tournament to the Presidential tournament, except when he was unable to pitch due to minor injuries. He was determined to win a championship for his alma mater before turning pro.
Most importantly, Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom) announced his intention to enter the major leagues in a post before the season, and Kiwoom decided to accept it, which 스포츠토토 brought high-level officials from the major leagues to Korea. In response, three or four clubs, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, are said to have made concrete moves and checked out Jang Hyun-seok’s work. There was talk among major league scouts that a contract size of more than $1.5 million was possible, but a basic contract of $900,000 was agreed upon.
Jang Hyun-seok must now prepare to become the “Little Park Chan-ho. Park Chan-ho, who won 18 games in 2000 and 15 in 2001 after the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, signed with the Texas Rangers for the largest contract for a pitcher at the time. It will be interesting to see if Jang Hyun-seok can follow in Park’s footsteps.