Busan High School's decision for Ohtani to stay complicates the calculations for Doosan and KIA, while Kiwoom is the only one smiling amid the shaky Big Three.

*This content was translated by AI.

As the high school Big Three this year waver, 'top overall draft candidate' Ha Hyun-seung (18) has ultimately decided to remain in Korea.

In a phone call with StarNews on the 29th, Ha Hyun-seung stated, "This was a decision I made myself. I felt I am still quite lacking and need to gain experience. I wanted to grow steadily in Korea and then challenge the United States."

This put an end to rumors of a Major League Baseball (MLB) move that had circulated since February in Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do. He received concrete offers from three teams: the New York Yankees, one team from the American League West Division, and one team from the National League Central Division. Among them, the Yankees, which offered the highest international draft bonus money, reportedly proposed a signing bonus of around 2.3 million dollars (approximately 3.4 billion won).

There are two main reasons for staying in Korea. First, he felt he was still quite lacking. Second, the successful performances of high school seniors who have recently established themselves in the KBO League had an influence. With Ha Hyun-seung's decision to remain in Korea confirmed, the Kiwoom Heroes, who hold the first overall pick in the 2027 KBO Draft, are smiling. At this point, they no longer need to worry about who to select.

High school seniors this year were highly rated for their potential due to outstanding achievements through their second year. In particular, Busan High School's Ha Hyun-seung (18), Deoksu High School's Eom Jun-sang (18), and Seoul High School's Kim Ji-woo (18), who showed talent in both pitching and hitting like Shohei Ohtani (32, LA Dodgers), were known as the Big Three and also attracted interest from Major League Baseball (MLB).

However, at this point after the conclusion of the second national tournament, the Golden Sajakgi, the overall evaluation by domestic and international scouts is that the growth of expected players, including the Big Three, is disappointing. Even Ha Hyun-seung, who received the most concrete offer among the Big Three, had mixed expectations regarding his potential. MLB Scout A, who felt regret over Ha Hyun-seung's growth trajectory, gave a cold assessment: "Actually, I had high expectations for Ha Hyun-seung this year. To receive 2 million dollars, he needed to show standout performances, but even during the Golden Sajakgi, the impact was lacking. His fastball velocity was in the mid-140s km/h, and the movement of his slider and changeup was not highly rated."

Eom Jun-sang and Kim Ji-woo are also evaluated as not yet having fully demonstrated their potential. Eom Jun-sang has clear defensive skills as a shortstop and natural pitching sense, but his relatively slow speed and inconsistent hitting are pointed out as shortcomings. Kim Ji-woo also has the best power among the Big Three, derived from a strong arm, but has not shown consistent performance. KBO Scout B said after the conclusion of the Golden Sajakgi, "They have not yet reached their full condition. There is a feeling that their skill development is slow," and added, "I got the strong impression that both Eom Jun-sang and Kim Ji-woo will need time to adapt when they enter the professional league."

Consequently, the calculations for Doosan Bears and KIA Tigers, who hold the second and third overall draft picks, have become complicated. If the three players had grown as expected, they would have simply needed to take one of the remaining players. While the exceptional talent of the three players—Ha Hyun-seung, Eom Jun-sang, and Kim Ji-woo—is still highly regarded, the steady emergence of new faces has left scouts in a dilemma.

On the other hand, Kiwoom, which holds the first overall pick, has at least relieved a major burden simply with Ha Hyun-seung's decision to stay. KBO Scout B stated, "Ha Hyun-seung showed why he is a top overall draft candidate. His fast fastball and sharp slider are at a level difficult for high school batters to handle. In terms of tunneling and breaking, he is at the top level. As a hitter, his ability to produce extra-base hits has improved compared to last year."

In particular, his passion for baseball is at the highest level among his peers. Like Eom Jun-sang, who finds the most fun in defensive fly balls that others dislike, and Kim Ji-woo, who went straight to the training center immediately after the final match of the national tournament championship to train late into the night, Ha Hyun-seung was no less competitive. Ahead of his most important third-year season, Ha Hyun-seung began correcting his backswing over the winter. The backswing is the arm swing from the pitcher's windup to the release point. He studied backswings from various angles to increase velocity and achieve a smoother mechanism. As a result, he recorded a top velocity of 152 km/h at the National Sports Festival last year.

If Ha Hyun-seung heads to Kiwoom without any major surprises, a positive synergy effect is expected alongside senior players like Jung Hyun-woo (20) and Park Jun-hyun (19), who were also top overall candidates. Ha Hyun-seung said, "I do not think the Korean professional league is at a low level; I feel there is much to learn. Also, environmentally, I felt I could learn a lot from the seniors without any hesitation." He added, "Although there has never been a successful case in Korea yet, I want to go to the United States because I am good at both pitching and hitting," expressing his ambitious plans.

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*This content was translated by AI.