The day of challenge has finally come. If he can get a professional nomination, will Yang Jie (22), a “double national” who is willing to join the military, achieve his dream of becoming a KBO League player.
The KBO (Korea Baseball Organization) will hold the 2025 KBO Rookie Draft at Lotte Hotel in Seoul on the 11th.메이저놀이터
A total of 1,197 people are eligible for the rookie draft, including 840 high school graduates, 286 college graduates, 56 early draft applicants, and 15 other players, including overseas flax and professionals.
Among the 15 overseas flax and professionals, there was a person who heated up the KBO rookie draft tryout stage, so Yang Jae-yi, who has a physique suitable for basketball (height 198cm-weight 110kg), is the main character.
Yang is the nephew of Hyundai Mobis coach Yang Dong-geun, a former Korean professional basketball legend, who participated in the 2025 Rookie Draft tryout held at LG Champions Park in Icheon on April 19 and hit a heavy fastball using his long arm and high RBI. Yang’s weaknesses in pitching form and ball control were exposed, but he was as good as active pro baseball players in terms of ball control and strength. According to a scout from Team A, Yang’s maximum speed on fastballs was 147 kilometers and 142 to 143 kilometers on average.
Yang Jie was born on May 2, 2002, to mother and American father, Yang Dong-geun’s older sister. While majoring in biochemistry and playing baseball in the U.S., he left his parents in the U.S. and came to Korea alone to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional baseball player. In July, he joined the independent baseball team Hwaseong City Coreyo and prepared for the tryout by learning systematic baseball for the first time.
Yang Jie, a dual Korean-U.S. citizen, must fulfill his mandatory military service if he is named by a KBO league team in the rookie draft. And he may have to play in the second division for several years as he is just an unfinished gemstone.
Nevertheless, Yang said, “I’m okay with that. If you play in the second division more often, you can learn more about baseball. I’m determined to persevere (both in the military and in the second division),” adding, “You can play in the second division more often and raise your speed to play in the first division.”
According to the scout of the professional baseball team A, Yang Jie was highly evaluated for his potential at the time of the tryout. Although he failed in the immediate power consumption category, there were opinions from multiple clubs that systematic training in the Futures League could burst the so-called “poten” when considering physical conditions, growth speed, and acquisition ability.
Will Yang be able to achieve his dream of becoming a KBO leaguer at the Lotte Hotel on Sunday? From round 1 to round 11, he will also listen carefully to see if Yang is called by his name.