'700 million won debut' expectations for Park Jun-hyun: "He was the overall first pick; if he pitches well, we will give him more opportunities" [Gocheok]

*This content was translated by AI.

Seol Jong-jin, 53, manager of the Kiwoom Heroes, expressed high expectations for rookie Park Jun-hyun, 19, who is set to make his 1st team debut as a starting pitcher in a home game against the Samsung Lions on the 26th. He also hinted that if the performance is good, Park could remain in the starting rotation.

Manager Seol met with reporters ahead of the KBO League match against the NC Dinos held at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome on the 23rd, stating, "(Park) Jun-hyun was the first pick (overall first selection) and is a player with high potential and expectations, so if he shows a good performance this time, we plan to give him more opportunities."

Park Jun-hyun, who signed with Kiwoom after being selected as the overall first pick in the 2026 Rookie Draft with a signing bonus of 700 million won, has yet to make his regular season debut. In March exhibition games, he recorded 6 earned runs over 3⅓ innings in four games, posting an ERA of 16.20.

Excluded from the opening roster, he pitched 14⅓ innings in four Futures League games, showing a stable performance with 2 walks, 21 strikeouts, and an ERA of 1.88. In a match against Lotte on the 19th, he pitched 5 innings, allowing 4 hits, striking out 8, and giving up 3 earned runs, with his top velocity reaching 154 km/h.

Kiwoom has faced gaps in its starting rotation due to consecutive injuries among pitchers early in the season. Foreign second starter Nathan Wills was ruled out for six weeks due to shoulder pain, and Kenny Rosenberg, signed as a replacement, still awaits visa approval, meaning he will need more time before he can play.

Manager Seol explained, "With two replacement starters used just this week, we need a pitcher who can go long innings until Rosenberg arrives. Since (Park Jun-hyun) has already pitched 5 innings in the Futures League, we are considering having him pitch 4 to 5 innings on Sunday (the 26th), with a pitch count of around 80 to 90. His control has improved significantly, and he has consistently thrown 150 km/h, so we judged it would be a good opportunity to let him show what he can do."

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*This content was translated by AI.