The Hanwha Eagles are attracting attention by selecting many infielders in addition to left-handers. Infielders were selected in succession in the 3rd and 4th rounds.

In the 2024 KBO Rookie Draft held at the Grand Ballroom of the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul on the 14th, Hanwha selected Whimoon High School infielder Jeong An-seok as the 21st overall pick in the third round and Yeoncheon Miracle infielder Hwang Young-mook as the 31st overall pick in the fourth round.

Hanwha achieved its goal by embracing Jangchung High School left-handed pitchers Hwang Jun-seo and Jo Dong-wook in the first and second rounds, and immediately turned its attention to infielders.

And the people nominated are Jeong An-seok and Hwang Young-mook.

In 14 high school games this year, An-seok Jeong recorded a batting average of 0.298 (14 hits in 47 at-bats), 7 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.828. In the youth national team, he played the role of table setter and second baseman, contributing to the bronze medal.

Hwang Young-mook is a player that many baseball fans are familiar with. He made his face known by appearing on JTBC’s baseball entertainment program Strongest Baseball.

He graduated from Anyang Chunghun High School and entered Chung-Ang University, but dropped out and played in the independent league since 2019. He played in the independent league for over three years, including Seongnam Blue Panthers, Scorebone Hyenas, and Yeoncheon Miracle. He made his professional debut after four years of waiting.

One of his biggest advantages is that he is a military infielder.

Jeong An-seok/WBSC

Looking at Hanwha’s current situation, there is no shortage of infielders. In particular, Eun-won Jeong and Hyun-bin Moon, a rookie this year, are holding out at second base. So it couldn’t be a more surprising choice.

General Manager Son Hyuk, whom we met after the draft, explained the background to the nomination, saying, “Jung An-seok is a player who can play both the infield and the outfield. He has quick feet and good athleticism.” Scout team leader Jeong Min-hyuk explained, “He has good defense and throwing ability. He also showed grit.”

It is similar to what Moon Hyun-bin did this season. Although his main position was second base, former manager Carlos Subero experimented with Moon Hyun-bin playing center field, and he proved his potential. So, while Eun-Won Jeong was guarding second base, he played 519 innings as a center fielder. However, because he is still unfamiliar with the position, he made a defensive error, and in the second half of the season, he is playing second base.

The same goes for Hwang Young-mook’s main position, shortstop. Lee Do-yoon has established himself this season, and Lee Min-jun is emerging as a promising star. In addition to veteran Oh Seon-jin, there are several players waiting in the second team, including Ha Joo-seok and Park Jeong-hyun.

General manager Son Hyuk said, “Hwang Young-mook is the type who can be put into the game right away. He is a player close to the first team (player), so we selected him quickly.”

Youngmuk Hwang./Hanwha Eagles

Hanwha made the nomination with a view to the present and future. Jeong Eun-won must resolve the military service issue, and Noh Si-hwan is not free from military service yet. The Hangzhou Asian Games are the key.

General Manager Son Hyuk explained, “There are players who are in the military and there are players who need to go to the military. Players should not remain stagnant. We need to provide circulation.”소닉카지노

Commentator Park Yong-taek also nodded to Hanwha’s nominations of Jeong An-seok and Hwang Young-mook. This is because he knew Hwang Young-muk better than anyone else and was keeping an eye on Jeong An-seok because he was a junior at Whimoon High School.

Commissioner Park said, “Hwang Young-mook can play all positions in the infield. His defense is stable and his batting is not bad. He has the skills to compete with first-team players. He is worthy of competing with Moon Hyun-bin. He can compete well.” “I think I can do it,” he said with a chuckle.

In particular, when Commissioner Park went to his alma mater, Whimoon High School, and saw the players, the player who surprised him the most was Jeong An-seok. He assured, “I was surprised to see him batting. So I asked the coaches, ‘Does he bat well?’ and they said yes. If we train him, he will do well.”