"Big 3 this year" Kim Ji-woo of Seoul High School is an instant power if he is a pitcher, but he is more expected as a "why" fielder, "I can be the fourth hitter like Noh Si-hwan."

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Ji-woo (18), a senior at Seoul High School, is one of the prospects that KBO scouts are more curious about his performance in 2026.

Kim Ji-woo is called a big three prospect along with Ha Hyun-seung (18) of Busan High School and Um Jun-sang (18) of Deoksu High School in the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft, which will be held in the second half of this year. Uniquely, all of the big three are both pitchers and batters, drawing attention.

Last year, Kim Ji-woo received a little better reviews as a pitcher. He led Seoul High School's Shinsegae E-Mart Bae and "2025 E-Mart No Brand Bae CHAMPIONSHIP" with a two-win, unbeaten ERA of 0.00 in seven games, five walks and 19 strikeouts in 13 ⅓ innings, and a WHIP of 0.69. Even though he hardly trained as a pitcher, his fastballs with an average speed of 150 kilometers per hour and a maximum speed of 153 kilometers per hour (unofficial 154 kilometers) were enough to overwhelm high school batters.

A KBO club scout who recently contacted Star News said, "As a pitcher, I see Kim Ji-woo as a more attractive player. He believes that his fastball pitching is so good that he can use it immediately with power. As a beast, it could take a little longer. However, if you are a pitcher, you can get to the first team quickly because you also have ABS (automatic pitching judgment system)." "It's a short inning, but I thought it was a ball that could put pressure on hitters. The speed you feel at bat will be more than just a speed gun. As a bullpen, the growth potential is likely to be the highest over the next four to five years, he stressed.

There was a lot to be desired as a fielder. Kim Ji-woo, who played as a third baseman, hit only 0.259 (22 hits in 85 at-bats) with five homers, 25 RBIs and five steals, 19 walks with 18 strikeouts, and a 0.387 on-base percentage of 0.471 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) in 25 games last year. He was not highly praised for his rugged appearance in the third base defense. As a result, unlike Um Joon-sang and Ha Hyun-seung, they were not selected for the Korean baseball youth national team under the age of 18 (U-18).

The KBO scout said, "In hitting, sometimes a ludicrous ball swings and misses. In high school, you can overcome even if you miss one or two. However, in professional programs, if you persistently dig into these areas, you may have difficulty," he pointed out. "We need more at-bat experience than now. "I think the results will vary depending on how much we have studied and tried to do in many games and at-bats," he added.

Nevertheless, scouts still failed to exclude Kim Ji-woo from the big three prospects. Last year, a major league scout even asserted, "If you look at the potential alone, Seoul High School's Kim Ji-woo will be the first in the 2027 KBO rookie draft." The reason is because of the long hit power that has been famous nationwide since the days of Gangnam Middle School. Kim Ji-woo is considered overwhelming compared to the other two players in terms of power, even though he is 183cm tall and weighs 87kg based on the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA).

The KBO scout also said, "He is a player with very high potential. The power tool is so good and the strength of the ball is so good that it seems to be attractive. He also hits the fastest ball among the three because of his fast bat speed. In addition, he said, "I have the ability to send that fast ball far away."

It reminded Roh Si-hwan (26, Hanwha Eagles), the fourth batter of the national team, of his long-shot power that can cross any fence if he gets it right and the irregularity in the frequency of hitting it. The KBO scout said, "Last year's batting average was less than 300. No matter how good a player he is, his batting average of .200 at the high school level is hard to get a good evaluation," he said flatly.

"He is also a player with high expectations for a home run. I think I can compare it with Noh Si-hwan. Noh Si-hwan also did not grow fast in the early stages of the profession, but eventually settled down as the fourth batter. Kim Ji-woo is also a batter with that potential. I just think I need a little time," he said, looking forward to his performance this year.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.