The Kiwoom Heroes will hold a “one pick overall” event for the first time in 11 years since Cho Sang-woo was nominated in 2013. While “right-handed fire bowler” Jung Woo-joo (Jeonju High School) and “left-handed biggest fish” Jung Hyun-woo (Deoksu High School) have emerged as candidates for the first place overall, Kiwoom has reportedly put more weight on the recent nomination of Jung Hyun-woo.
The KBO 2025 Rookie Draft will be held on September 11. Nominations will be held from the first round to the 11th round, followed by the order of nominations in the reverse order of the previous year’s rankings.메이저사이트
After ranking the lowest in the league (51 wins, 2 draws and 80 losses – 8th under the eight teams at the time) in the 2011 season, the team fell back to the lowest in the league (58 wins, 3 draws and 83 losses) in the 2023 season, 12 years later. It also meant that the team gained the right to exercise one pick in the entire regular round for rookie nominees.
The team used the first overall pick, which it earned at the bottom of the 2011 season, to Daejeon High School pitcher Jo Sang-woo during the 2013 rookie draft. As a result, Jo has grown into a closer representing the Kiwoom team.
Twelve years later, Kiwoom again acquired the No. 1 overall nomination right. After Kiwoom’s agony, there are only two pitchers. They are Jung Woo-joo and Jung Hyun-woo.
First, right-hander fireballer Jung Woo-joo, who plays fastball in the mid 150km/h range, is one of the high school seniors who received the most attention from Major League teams. Jung Woo-joo was actually offered to join American League powerhouse A team, but he reportedly chose to stay in Korea after much consideration.
Jung took the mound in 20 official games (45.2 innings) this year, and recorded 4 wins and 1 loss with 1.57 80 strikeouts and 25 walks with WHIP of 0.96. It is evaluated as an instant power resource that can be used as an all-weather for starters and bullpen sessions.
Chung is considered a resource for starting left-handed starters. Already outstanding since he was a sophomore in high school last year, Chung pitched in 16 official games (48.1 innings), with eight wins, no loss, 0.75 70 strikeouts, 12 walks and a WHIP of 0.67.
The Kiwoom team seemed to be agonizing over Chung Woo-joo and Chung Hyun-woo. According to a report by Expots News, the Kiwoom team has recently put more weight on Chung. “I heard that the Kiwoom team has decided to appoint Chung Hyeon-woo, who has a high growth potential as a left-handed starting pitcher. Unless Chung Woo-joo shows a big twist during the youth national team’s call-up in late August, the trend will not be swayed,” a baseball official said.
Along with Ahn Woo-jin, who is solving military problems along with surgical rehabilitation, right-hander-centered starters such as Ha Young-min and Kim Yoon-ha are leading the team’s starting mound. If stable native left-hander starters are added to this, left and right balance of the starting mound can be achieved. Kiwoom’s direction is interpreted as that it will appoint Chung Hyeon-woo from a long-term perspective and raise him as a left-hander starter who can be the mainstay of the team’s starting lineup. Attention is focusing on whether Kiwoom will change the upper-round game by nominating Chung Hyun-woo as the first overall pick.