190 cm tall, 90 kg strong, fastball over 150 km, curve falling like a waterfall. Jang Hyeon-seok (19, Masan Yongma High School) is known as a ‘out-of-high school pitcher’. His career high school baseball record is 6-3 with a 1.85 earned run average 안전놀이터 in 21 appearances. Jang Hyun-seok, the most promising player, recently joined the Los Angeles Dodgers of the American professional baseball major league. People around him discouraged him from advancing to the big leagues, but he was confident and had clear goals. He is the first starter for the ‘prestigious team’ Dodgers.

Jang Hyun-seok, whom we met on the 16th at Masan Yongma High School in Masanhappo-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, said, “My final goal has always been the major leagues.” “A lot of people gave me advice,” he said. After experiencing the KBO league, he recommended challenging the big leagues. I was grateful to everyone who worried about me, but I couldn’t give up on my dream.” “My mother said that it’s best for me to do what I want to do. He added that he was encouraged by the words that he would support any choice.”

The relationship with Lee Ho-joon, the current LG batting coach, had a great influence on Jang Hyun-seok’s decision to play baseball. In 2014, Jang Hyun-seok, a senior at Sangil Elementary School in Masan, visited Masan Stadium to cheer for his hometown team, NC. However, he had a small car accident in the process of getting a player’s autograph. Lee Ho-joon, who was an NC player at the time, stepped on Jang Hyun-seok’s foot while backing up in his car. Lee Ho-jun said to Jang Hyun-seok, who did not cry even in the accident and received medical treatment at the hospital, “You have a good body, so you must play baseball.”

Jang Hyun-seok stood out among his peers from the 6th grade of elementary school. In his second year of racing, he already surprised his seniors by throwing a fastball in the upper 130 km/h range. His current height is the same as when he was in the 3rd year of middle school. All thanks to inherited unique genes from his parents. His mother, who ran for track and field during his school days, was 174 cm tall, and his father, a taekwondo champion, was also over 180 cm tall.

Jang Hyun-seok is diligent. He never wastes time. After completing school classes and training, take an intercity bus to Busan, about two hours away, and receive private lessons for two to three hours. When he returns home after lessons, he often misses midnight, but he analyzes the pitching form of top-level pitchers in the big leagues on YouTube. He recently fell in love with Darvish Yu (San Diego Padres), who has a similar pitching form to him.

Jang Hyun-seok lost his father when he was in his first year of high school. Perhaps because of that, he matured earlier than his peers. And his mother, who drives him to school every morning, and his late sister, who is in the 5th grade of elementary school, have special affection. Jang Hyun-seok said, “After his father died, he played baseball more tenaciously. He wanted to show his mother the image of a dependable son. He will definitely repay you with success in the major leagues.”

Jang Hyun-suk was ranked 22nd on the Dodgers’ top 30 prospects list. However, it seems that he will spend next year in the minor league single-A first. Therefore, it is necessary to overcome a poor environment that cannot be compared to that of the major leagues. Jang Hyun-seok said, “The Dodgers are the best at developing pitchers among the 30 major league teams. If you systematically manage and build your body, your skills will improve.”

Jang Hyun-seok mentioned Clayton Kershaw and Darvish, who are now team seniors, at the Dodgers press conference on the 14th. The two are pitchers representing the big leagues. In particular, Kershaw received the Cy Young Award three times (2011, 2013-2014) as the ace of the Dodgers. Jang Hyun-seok said, “The reason I mentioned Kershaw and Darvish is because they are the first starters of the team. He definitely wants to become a big league 1 starting pitcher,” he emphasized.

Jang Hyun-seok plans to focus on the Hangzhou Asian Games, which will open next month. Jang Hyun-seok, who wore the Taegeuk mark for the first time in history as a high school student, said, “I will show the best pitching in any position or game,” and “I will work hard with a sense of responsibility to represent the country. I really want to win the gold medal.”