Shim Jun-seok (19), a right-handed pitcher who was considered the best player in high school, signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates of the American Professional Baseball Major League.
MLB.com reported on the morning of the 16th (Korean time) that Pittsburgh has signed a contract with pitcher Shim Jun-seok, who is ranked 10th in the international prospect list. As a result, Pittsburgh has three Korean players following Ji-Hwan Choi, but Bae Ji-Hwan.
Pittsburgh did not officially announce the signing of Shim Jun-seok. A physical examination must be completed. Shim Jun-seok, who is scheduled to graduate from Deoksu High School, did not submit an application for the KBO League draft last year, signed a contract with Bora Corporation and chose to go directly to the US stage, ahead of entering the ‘big league’.
MLB.com said of Shim Jun-seok, “Korea’s best prospect,” and “throws a fast ball with a maximum speed of 100 miles (about 161 km) and an average of 94 to 96 miles (151 to 154 km), and a curve falling from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock.” He also has the ball, 안전놀이터 and his control is excellent.” “He has a solid physique, excellent pitching form and athleticism. A slider and changeup can also be added to plus pitches. Looking at his growth process, such as throwing a fast ball calmly since his teenage years, it reminds me of Chan-ho Park’s childhood.” . Park Chan-ho entered the major leagues by signing a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994, and during his 17 seasons, he set the record for the most wins (124 wins) by an Asian player.
On January 15, local time, Major League Baseball will renew the signing limit for international amateur players under the age of 25. As a result, 5,825,500 dollars (approximately 7.23 billion won) can be spent until December 15th, so most clubs sign contracts with foreign amateur prospects over the age of 16 who are not citizens of the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico on the 15th. Along with Shim Jun-seok, Pittsburgh acquired Raymond Mora, an outfielder from the Dominican Republic who ranked 26th in the international prospect rankings. The San Diego Padres, to which Kim Ha-seong belongs, signed a contract with Venezuelan catcher Ethan Salas, the number one international prospect, for $5.6 million.