Lee Yul-ye (Gangneung High School) was selected by SSG Landers as the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2025 KBO Rookie Draft held at Lotte Hotel World Crystal Ballroom in Seoul on the 11th.
Lee played in 23 games this year, recording 27 hits, two homers, 16 RBIs, 27 runs, a batting average of 0.391 OPS. However, what shines more is the defense. He is a catcher with strong shoulders and good defense capabilities. He was evaluated as the biggest catcher this season, and he has been playing as the starting pitcher for the youth since 2023 when he was a sophomore in high school.토토사이트
At the time of the nomination, SSG general manager Kim Jae-hyun said, “Speed is important in modern baseball, and the player who will catch that speed is Lee Yul-ye,” adding, “We will make Lee Yul-ye a leading player in the 2028 Cheong-Rom era.”
Lee Yul-ye visited SSG Landers Field with nine other players who were nominated by SSG on Wednesday. Before the game, he greeted Lee and had tea time with the team’s meeting and the team’s CEO and general manager. He introduced himself to the fans at home for the first time on the first-base stage.
Before the match, Lee said, “I congratulated the rookie players. I asked them about their strengths and weaknesses, but they all said that they have no weaknesses.” “What I said at the end was, ‘It’s not about a relationship between a coach and an athlete like an amateur. You need to know how to express yourself. That’s why I asked them. I told them to communicate with coaches or coaches about things they like and dislike.”
Lee Yul-ye, who met with reporters after Lee Sung-yong’s interview, said, “I didn’t realize it until I was nominated, but I think it’s real because I saw the stadium and greeted the seniors’ coaches and coaches. (Draft) It was hectic because it felt like something passed in an instant, but I think it’s a little real today.”
Lee Yul-ye played at SSG Landers Field last year. Gangneung High School advanced to the final of the 2023 Shinsegae E-Mart Bae Jeon-guk Yoyo Contest held in April last year. At that time, Lee Yul-ye started with a catcher mask.
Recalling the time, Lee Yul-ye said, “I came here to play at the final, and I thought I wanted to see it again because the stadium was so good, but it was an honor to be selected,” adding, “At that time, since I was in the second grade, I had a lot of thoughts of helping the older brothers rather than thinking about the nomination, but it’s amazing to get the nomination.”
Park Ji-hwan, who wore the SSG uniform as the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 draft, had a relationship with Lee Yul-ye last year in the youth team. When Lee joined SSG, he congratulated her. “I met her earlier, and she congratulated me and said it would be very difficult,” Lee said. “I think I have to prepare well and come back.”
There was a time when Lee Yul-ye’s eyes changed as he talked with a bright smile. It was time to talk about the catcher. “I will frame even with the automatic ball determination system (ABS). I will just do the same,” Lee said. “I think if I work hard, I can play the same game well,” he said. “[Songgu] practices a lot to improve accuracy. Pitchcomb said, “I’ve never experienced it before, so I think I can do it if I get used to it when I start training at SSG.”
Regarding the catcher’s charm, he continued, “I think I’m sitting alone and wearing the gear. I get the ball from the pitcher. I think it’s attractive to be a catcher in itself,” and added, “People call me a field commander. So I think we need to have the ability to encompass our team. If we do well, our team can win again. I think that’s the biggest attraction.”
Lee Yul-ye, who wants to receive the credit from Kim Kwang-hyun and Noh Kyung-eun the most, said, “Some people will be selected in the first round to cheer for me, but there will be people who have questions. I want to learn a lot from coaches and seniors at SSG and show them that this is why I was chosen,” adding, “I believe fans will cheer me on if I can show off my skills next year. I think I have to do my best.”