'Already 156km/h bang!' Texas Kim Sung-jun to play both shortstop and pitcher this year! Debuting in the rookie league on the 5th

*This content was translated by AI.

Texas Rangers Kim Sung-jun (19) is officially launching into the minor league season with a two-way role as both pitcher and position player. His positions are pitcher and shortstop.

A representative for Kim Sung-jun told StarNews on the 3rd, "Kim Sung-jun will begin his season with the ACL Rangers in the rookie league. He will play shortstop while also pitching."

Kim Sung-jun, a graduate of Gwangju Ilgo High School, is a right-handed pitcher and right-handed batter who signed a $1.2 million (approximately 1.8 billion won) contract with Texas in May last year to pursue a major league challenge. He has been highly regarded since his first year of high school for his exceptional athletic ability and flexibility, drawing attention from major league teams. In his second year, he won the Baseball Star Award at the 2024 Futures Star Awards ceremony.

Among them, Texas was the team that showed interest early on, even sending a senior executive directly to Gwangju during his second year. At the time of his signing, Texas prepared a customized two-way training program for Kim Sung-jun based on the one Shohei Ohtani (32, Los Angeles Dodgers) received from Nippon Ham in Japan, which ultimately led to the final contract.

That effort is ongoing. Within the Texas organization, only Kim Sung-jun and Josh Owens (19) are selected for the two-way training program. Owens is also ranked as the sixth-best right-handed pitcher and left-handed batter prospect in the Texas team according to MLB.com's official evaluation criteria, and he will start this season with the ACL Rangers alongside Kim Sung-jun, who is ranked 15th.

So far, Kim Sung-jun's adaptation process in the United States has been smooth. After playing in the Dominican Rookie Summer League last year, Kim Sung-jun participated in the MLB Spring Breakout in March, an event open only to top minor league prospects. According to Kim Sung-jun's representative, he threw a fastball clocked at a maximum of 97 mph (approximately 156.1 km/h) and hit a home run there, earning praise from Texas officials.

It is also reported that there were numerous requests for autographs from local fans during the Spring Breakout. Nick Yensen, manager of the Hickory Crawdads, Texas's Low-A team who directly coached the game, praised Kim Sung-jun, saying, "We believe we are betting on special players. Both Kim Sung-jun and Owens possess extraordinary talent in both pitching and hitting. We truly saw a great game."

External evaluations are also significant. MLB.com ranked Kim Sung-jun 15th among Texas prospects, stating, "Kim Sung-jun has average-level hitting ability as a batter with good plate discipline. As a right-handed hitter, there is expectation for power to hit 15 home runs. If he continues to grow and builds strength, his offensive potential can be further elevated. Defensively, he shows a stable presence at shortstop based on his strong arm."

The report continued, "As a pitcher, he throws a fastball averaging in the low 90s mph, with a maximum of 95 mph (approximately 152.9 km/h). Among his breaking balls, a slider in the low 80s mph (approximately 128.7 km/h) receives the best evaluation, along with a splitter and curveball. As he physically matures further, his pitching arsenal is expected to improve. His exceptional athletic ability will help him consistently throw strikes."

Kim Sung-jun will focus on physical development and league adaptation in the rookie league starting on May 5, Korean time. Since his physical growth is not yet complete, Texas is providing comprehensive support for his adaptation. A representative for Kim Sung-jun explained, "Thanks to having an English teacher and an interpreter assigned every day, his English skills are improving rapidly. Also, Texas will not overwork him for the next two years, focusing instead on his growth. The training schedule is strictly followed: one day for pitching training, two days for hitting training, and three days off, which has satisfied the player."

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*This content was translated by AI.