The KIA Tigers signed 7 developmental players on October 6.
The list includes right-handed pitchers Lee Jun-hyeok and Choi Seung-hyeok.
The strengths of the two players are evaluations by the club, but their signings are confirmed facts.
3-Line Summary
1. KIA signed 7 players, including 2 pitchers
2. Lee Jun-hyeok and Choi Seung-hyeok are both right-handed pitchers
3. Potential evaluations are distinct from on-field results
KIA’s New Developmental Player List: 2 Pitchers and 5 Position Players
KIA announced that it had signed all 7 players as developmental players: the two pitchers Lee Jun-hyeok (22) and Choi Seung-hyeok (20), infielders Choi Byeong-yong, Lee Ji-won, and Song Seung-yeop, and outfielders Kim Tae-eon and Ji Seung-gi. The pitchers on this list are Lee Jun-hyeok and Choi Seung-hyeok.
Lee Jun-hyeok is a right-handed pitcher who graduated from Gwangju Jeil High School and Hanyang University. KIA introduced Lee Jun-hyeok as a starting-pitching prospect with excellent physical attributes and game-management ability. The assessment that he is a starting-pitching prospect reflects the club’s view of his growth potential; it does not mean that his immediate addition to the starting rotation has been decided.
Choi Seung-hyeok is a right-handed pitcher who graduated from Gwangju Dongsung High School and Busan Institute of Science and Technology. KIA identified the movement on his pitches and his breaking balls with significant angle as his strengths. Neither pitcher was introduced as a player who immediately produced first-team results after going through the selection process; rather, both joined the club as developmental players.
Choi Byeong-yong’s U.S. Minor League Background Also Came with Him
Among the position players, Choi Byeong-yong’s background stands out. Choi Byeong-yong was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft and played 3 seasons in their affiliated rookie league and Single-A.
According to a Newsis report, Choi Byeong-yong appeared in 150 games during that period, recording a batting average of 0.239, 5 home runs, 60 RBIs, 82 runs scored, and an OPS of 0.657. After being released last August, he played in an independent league in the United States and subsequently became a KIA developmental player. KIA evaluated his power hitting, generated by his quick bat speed, as a strength.
However, it is too early to conclude that Choi Byeong-yong’s overseas experience and the pitching evaluations of Lee Jun-hyeok and Choi Seung-hyeok will directly translate into an improvement in the team’s strength. The club explained that it conducted tryouts for players who had not been selected in the draft and focused on their potential and growth prospects.
8 Pitchers Took the Mound in the Gwangju Game on October 6
In the Samsung Lions game held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field that same day, KIA lost 4-5. Including starter Kim Tae-hyeong, KIA used a total of 8 pitchers: Lee Eui-ri, Lee Tae-yang, Kwak Do-gyu, Cho Sang-woo, Seong Yeong-tak, Choi Ji-min, and Jeon Sang-hyeon.
Kim Do-yeong drove in 4 runs by himself with a 3-run home run and a sacrifice fly, but KIA allowed the game to be tied in the 7th inning before falling behind on a solo home run in the 8th. The pitching management in that game and the signing of the developmental players are separate facts. However, the two newly arrived right-handed pitchers now have a starting point from which they must prove their competitiveness within the club’s development process.
References
Tags #KIATigers #KIADevelopmentalPlayers #Pitcher #LeeJunhyeok #ChoiSeunghyeok #ProfessionalBaseball #KBOLeague #RightHandedPitcher #DevelopmentalPlayer #ChoiByeongyong #KimDoyeong #SamsungLions