High school left-hander goes 1st overall in KBO draft

Duksoo High School left-hander Jung Hyun-woo went first overall at the annual amateur draft for the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on Wednesday. The Kiwoom Heroes made the 18-year-old pitcher the first No. 1 pick in franchise history at the draft held at a Seoul hotel. Jung throws a fastball that reaches over 150 kilometers per hour (93.2 miles per hour) and also mixes in a forkball and a curveball. Duksoo High School pitcher Jung Hyun-woo poses after being selected first overall by the Kiwoom Heroes at the Korea Baseball Organization draft at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul on Sept. 11, 2024. (Yonhap) Duksoo High School pitcher Jung Hyun-woo poses after being selected first overall by the Kiwoom Heroes at the Korea Baseball Organization draft at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul on Sept. 11, 2024. (Yonhap) In 16 games this season, Jung went 8-0 with a 0.75 ERA in 16 outings, covering 48 1/3 innings. He struck out 70 and walked nine, while giving up just 22 hits. The order of selection was determined by the rev erse order of finish in 2023. The NC Dinos would have had the seventh choice based on that, but they sent that pick to the Heroes in May this year in a trade for infielder Kim Whee-jip. The Heroes were the only team with two selections in the first round. Source: Yonhap News Agency