In the winter of 2014, when KT was about to make its first season in the first division, LG was deeply troubled by writing a list of 20 special names for the new team. It was at a crossroads between the present and the future, and as it advanced to the postseason for the second consecutive year, it put more weight on the present than the future. On the other hand, considering that KT took a lot of promising players in the draft, it was expected that it would immediately select a veteran player with power rather than a new player. 카지노사이트
My expectations were wrong. KT has named 19-year-old outfielder Bae Jung-dae ahead of his second season at LG. What he had never done became a reality, and he broke up with Bae Jung-dae without hiding his disappointment. In the first round of the second round of the 2014 rookie draft, he sent the five-tool outfielder away without properly scratching him.
In 2014, LG’s second-tier coaching staff predicted that Bae Jung-dae would become the main center fielder of LG in a few years, saying, “The defense will be the best even if he comes to the first division right away.” He planned to join the military as soon as possible and planned to use him as a key player after being discharged from the military service.
LG’s prediction was not wrong, just because the uniforms were different. Bae Jung-dae has exploded his potential since 2020 when KT jumped into a strong team. Wide defensive range and strong and accurate throw as an outfielder. He has become an irreplaceable center fielder in KT, boasting long-range hitting power and excellent main power that can hit double-digit home runs.
Of course, LG did not leave the center fielder position empty after the transfer to Bae Jung-dae. In addition to Bae Jung-dae in the rookie draft, he also nominated an outfielder in the top round. Hong Chang-ki, who joined in 2016, played full-time as a center fielder in 2021 and won the Golden Glove. In 2022, he signed an FA contract with national center fielder Park Hae-min to complete a special outfield with excellent offense and defense.
And he stared into the future again in the 2024 rookie draft on the 14th. In the second round, Incheon High School outfielder Kim Hyun-jong (19) was called. Regarding Kim Hyun-jong’s nomination, Cha Myung-seok, the head of the team, said, “As I watched him play, Bae Jung-dae’s appearance in 2014.” He has fast feet, can hit long balls, and has a good range of defense. He is a really good player with tools, he said. “The team also needed a right-handed hitter. “I didn’t hesitate to choose because I thought he was the best player we could pick in our turn,” he said.
On the high school stage this year, Kim Hyun-jong played with a batting average of 0.412 OPS 1.316, three home runs, 10 steals, and 18 RBIs in 18 games and 70 at-bats. The LG scout team said, “He is a player who has a clear strength in offense. “It is a medium- and long-distance type, and it is showing overall stability such as the range of defense, the ability to judge the ball, and the speed of the response to the ball,” he explained.
Cha said, “Our outfielders are solid at the moment, but we have to think about it two or three years later. “We decided to prepare in advance when we need a center fielder after Park Hae-min,” he said, depicting Kim Hyun-jong going around the outfield of Jamsil Stadium a few years later.
It is LG’s 2024 rookie draft, which had many fielders in addition to Kim Hyun-jong. Regarding Dongwon University of Science and Technology infielder Son Yong-joon (23), who was nominated in the third round, Cha said, “This player is also good for offense and defense.” He was judged to be an infielder who could be used right away in the first division. I think I can play Oh Ji-hwan’s backup shortstop right next year, he said. “I have already completed my military service.” “I think I brought a good infielder,” he said with confidence.