KKKKKKKKK. U-18 National Baseball Team pitcher Yuk Sun-yeop (Jang Chung-go) has made his presence felt in the upcoming first round of the KBO Draft. The Samsung Lions and NC Dinos, who hold the fourth and fifth overall picks, are expected to show more interest in Yuk, who is challenging for the top five picks.
South Korea, which is competing in the 31st World Youth Baseball Championship in Taiwan, won its third preliminary round game against Australia 3-0 on Sept. 4. After continuous consultation with the organizing committee due to the stay-at-home ban imposed by Taichung City on the 3rd, the game was approved to proceed with no spectators, only the players and essential operating personnel, and the game was declared to start at 4:55 pm.스포츠토토
Aside from Lee Seung-min’s double in the bottom of the second inning, Korea was unable to generate much offense until the end of the third inning. However, the opportunity arose thanks to Yuk Sun-yeop, who started on the mound and pitched 6.1 innings of five-hit ball with eight strikeouts and two walks.
South Korea got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning when Yeo Dong-gun led off with a walk and stole second. A walk by Park Ji-hwan, a sacrifice bunt by Lee Seung-min, and a wild pitch by Cho Hyun-min put runners on the corners with one out. Lee Yul-ye, the No. 7 hitter, capitalized on the opportunity with a timely double down the right field line to bring home all three runs.
With a three-run lead in the top of the seventh, Kim took over on the mound and retired the next two batters to close out the game. With a 2-1 record in the preliminary round, South Korea will play Mexico in the fourth game of the preliminary round on Friday at 10 a.m. KST.
Yuk gave up two hits in the top of the first inning, but got out of the inning with two strikeouts. After striking out the first three batters in the top of the second inning, Yuk was faced with runners in scoring position in the top of the third inning after a walk, a groundout, and a wild pitch. However, she struck out the next batter on a wild pitch to end the threat.
She allowed one run in the top of the fourth and one in the top of the fifth, but got out of the inning without any major damage. She was hit by a pitch with two outs in the top of the sixth, but was able to get the next batter to ground into a double play. In the top of the seventh inning, Yuk gave up a leadoff double and handed the ball over to Kim Taek-yeon.
It was a day that showed her value as a starting pitcher. Yuk is a prospect who is looking to be a “top 5” pick in the upcoming rookie draft. After Hwang Jun-seo (Jangchung High School), Kim Taek-yeon (Incheon High School), and Jeon Mir (Gyeongbuk High School), Yuk and Kim Hwi-gun are in the running for the top five picks.
It’s likely that the Samsung Lions and NC Dinos, who hold the fourth and fifth overall picks, were watching Yuk’s pitching with more interest. Samsung, in particular, has the most urgent need for mound reinforcements. While local favorite Jeon Mir has recently seen a significant improvement in his prospect evaluation, if not Jeon, Samsung could opt for a more physically gifted right-handed fireballer in Yook or Kim.
One wonders if Yuk will be able to raise his price tag in next week’s rookie draft with another stellar performance in his remaining youth national team appearances.