'13 in 5 Years': South Korean Pros Head Directly to the U.S. Again; There Is Now No Reason to Block Them [Children Heading to the U.S. (1)]

*This content was translated by AI.

With the success of Park Chan-ho (54) and Kim Byung-hyun (47), a wave of South Korean baseball prospects heading directly to the U.S. once again appears to be gaining momentum.

The trend of South Korean baseball prospects challenging the U.S., which began with the successes of Park Chan-ho and Kim Byung-hyun in the late 1990s, eventually faded amid numerous failures. Instead, a trend emerged where players first join the KBO League before challenging Major League Baseball (MLB). This shift was solidified by the success of Ryu Hyun-jin (39, Hanwha Eagles), who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013.

However, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, more prospects have begun choosing to challenge the U.S. directly instead of going through the KBO League. Most recently, Gwangju Ilgo High School right-handed ace Park Chan-min (18) has issued his challenge. The Philadelphia Phillies officially announced on the 24th (Korean time) that they had signed a free agent contract with Park Chan-min, a right-handed prospect from South Korea. According to U.S. media, the signing bonus is $1.205 million (approximately 1.8 billion won). Although the team initially lacked sufficient international draft bonus pool money, they actively pursued the deal, even trading two minor league right-handed pitchers to secure the necessary funds.

The trend does not stop there. According to a StarNews investigation, Ha Hyun-seung (18, Busan High) and Eom Jun-sang (18, Deoksu High), both considered top candidates for the first overall pick in the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft, are also attracting interest from MLB teams. In particular, Ha Hyun-seung is reportedly receiving such active interest that specific teams with large international draft bonus pools have been mentioned. With Park Chan-min included, this marks the 13th prospect to head directly to the U.S. in the past five years. If considering only those who went directly after high school graduation, the number reaches seven over the same period.

Why have more players suddenly chosen to go directly to the U.S.? Scouts both domestically and abroad cite improved access to information as the primary reason, differing from the past. Both players and teams now have more channels to learn about each other. Players selected in the first round of the KBO Rookie Draft undergo MLB identity checks at least once. MLB scouts evaluate that Korean players ranked as the top overall pick possess competitiveness comparable to same-age players from other countries.

The mindset of young players has also changed from the past. Recently, middle and high school prospects have been watching MLB games directly and absorbing the latest baseball theories. Prospect A, who is highly regarded as a likely first-round pick in the KBO, recently shared the current atmosphere: "Baseball is increasingly approached scientifically these days, so naturally, everyone is very interested. There is a strong desire to play baseball better, so when good videos or techniques emerge, they are immediately shared among friends. If there is a theory I want to apply, I also ask the coaches."

The regulation limiting support funds to a player's former school, which previously acted as a practical barrier to overseas advancement, is now considered to have lost its deterrent effect. According to Article 107, Section 4 of the KBO regulations, a player's former school receives no support funds for five years if the player signs with a foreign professional team. Typically, KBO teams provide baseball equipment support amounting to 7% of the signing bonus to the player's final graduating high school and 3% to their middle school. If a high school produces even three to four players selected in the first round, the support funds easily exceed 20 million won. In the current situation where a single box of practice balls costs 1.1 million won, this is an amount that cannot be ignored.

Consequently, some players who left for the U.S. in the past donated a portion of their signing bonus to their former schools before departing. However, as MLB teams' interest in South Korean prospects has grown and contract sizes have increased proportionately, this issue has naturally been resolved. Of course, the possibility of failure after advancing to the U.S. remains. However, unlike in the past, heading to the U.S. is now becoming one of the realistic options rather than a reckless challenge. This is the honest sentiment of amateur baseball officials: there is no longer a valid reason to block the hearts of players who simply wish to learn baseball in a better place.

High school coach B commented on this trend: "The KBO will likely raise concerns about the loss of prospects and cite league promotion as reasons to oppose. They will also point out cases where players who went to the U.S. failed. However, there is no guarantee that those who stayed in Korea would have succeeded and contributed to the league's popularity. Now, even if players want to go abroad, we have no reason to oppose them."

[Children Heading to the U.S.] Again, Pros Leaving for the U.S.; What Is Korean Baseball Missing?

① '13 in 5 Years': South Korean Pros Head Directly to the U.S. Again; There Is Now No Reason to Block Them

② "I Want to Play Baseball Better": Why Pros Crossed the Pacific Despite a Two-Year Penalty, When Only Choo Shin-soo and Choi Ji-man Laughed at Direct U.S. Moves

③ KBO Combine, Signing Bonus Reality, and Cancellation of Two-Year Grace Period... South Korean Pros Heading to the U.S. Should Be Made a Matter of Choice, Not Something to Block

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*This content was translated by AI.