"Ha Hyun-seung is too talented to be just a pitcher or a batter." Is a Korean Shohei Ohtani truly possible? For now, Korean and American opinions align.

*This content was translated by AI.

"(Ha) Hyun-seung is too talented to be just a pitcher or a batter."

Can a Shohei Ohtani (32, Los Angeles Dodgers) emerge even within the Korean KBO League environment? At least one colossal prospect ready to challenge the dual role of pitcher and batter has been prepared.

On the 8th, Ha Hyun-seung appeared as the starting pitcher for the high school all-star team at the 2026 4th Hanwha Eagles Cup High School and University All-Star Game held at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark, pitching two innings (26 pitches) with one walk, three strikeouts, and no runs allowed, achieving a no-hit performance.

With scouts from 24 teams across Korea, the United States, and Japan all in attendance, Ha Hyun-seung dominated the top college batters with a fastball clocked at a maximum speed of 150.7 km/h and a sharp slider. Most Korean and American scouts did not deny that Ha Hyun-seung possessed the most outstanding talent. KBO team scout A praised him, saying, "Ha Hyun-seung reached his peak with this game. His fastball reached speeds up to 151 km/h, delivering the best numerical results. The biggest strength is that he can throw such a fast ball with excellent control. He showed why he is his top candidate."

This year, Ha Hyun-seung has focused more on his pitching, posting a record of 2 wins and 0 losses in 8 games with an ERA of 0.00, 24 innings pitched, 8 walks, 38 strikeouts, and a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 0.67, showcasing excellent performance. The fastball velocity, which had been a persistent hurdle, finally exceeded 150 km/h, raising expectations for the future. MLB scout B also told StarNews, "Ha Hyun-seung was the best. He threw a 94 mph (about 151.3 km/h) fastball for the first time in front of so many people."

The problem is that his talent as a batter is no less than his talent as a pitcher. This year, Ha Hyun-seung delivered impressive performance at the plate with a batting average of 0.500 (24 hits in 48 at-bats) in 15 games, including 7 doubles, 3 home runs, 17 RBIs, 1 stolen base, an on-base percentage of 0.609, a slugging percentage of 0.833, and an OPS of 1.442.

It was the MLB's most prestigious team, the New York Yankees, who took notice of this talent. The Yankees recently made Ha Hyun-seung an offer of around 2.3 million dollars (approximately 3.4 billion won), but it was rejected. Ha Hyun-seung had previously told StarNews in a phone call on the 30th of last month, shortly after deciding to stay in Korea, "The Yankees viewed me more favorably as a batter than a pitcher. They offered to let me try a two-way role, and I liked those conditions, but I felt I could do enough in Korea as well."

Playing a full season as a dual-role pitcher and batter was unique to Ohtani even in the vast United States. Despite the challenge being practically impossible, the consensus among Korean and American scouts regarding Ha Hyun-seung stems from his innate baseball sense and physical condition. According to the Korea Baseball and Softball Association (KBSA) standards, Ha Hyun-seung is a left-handed pitcher and batter with a sturdy build, standing 194 cm tall and weighing 94 kg. He inherited flexibility and athletic ability from his parents, who were former national team athletes. Furthermore, he was already fast enough to run the 100th meters in the 11th-second range as a freshman.

Naturally, he was compared to his senior from the same school and legendary Korean MLB player Choo Shin-soo (44). Choo Shin-soo also played as a key batter and ace pitcher during his time at Busan High. Last year, a KBO team scout C praised him, saying, "He reminds me of Choo Shin-soo from high school. His physical condition is excellent, and his flexibility and speed are outstanding."

Given his exceptional talent, KBO teams also seem to believe they cannot prevent him from pursuing a dual role. KBO team scout A stated frankly, "Ha Hyun-seung is meant to do both pitching and batting. If his speed wasn't so fast, he wouldn't have been so attractive. But since he is fast, has a strong arm, and possesses great athletic ability, he has the tools to score high as a position player. For now, he is focusing more on pitching, but it would be a waste of his potential not to utilize his batting."

It is reported that Ha Hyun-seung stands out as the most promising among not only other notable dual-role prospects like Eom Jun-sang, Kim Ji-woo, and Lee Hyun-min, but also among the many prospects who have challenged the big leagues. KBO team scout A emphasized, "Among the dual-role players who have emerged recently, Ha Hyun-seung has the highest potential and possibility. It would be a waste to be just a pitcher or a batter."

What about the player's own thoughts? As expected, if Ha Hyun-seung is selected as the first overall pick in the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft, he will join the Kiwoom Heroes. Three years ago, Kiwoom wanted to develop catcher Kim Geon-hee (22), who had good hand-eye coordination, as a pitcher as well, but it ended in failure. Ha Hyun-seung expressed his excitement, saying, "If I get drafted by Kiwoom, I'll have senior An Woo-jin there, and I think I'll learn a lot. I heard that during senior Kim Geon-hee's time, there was a separate personal schedule. If I get drafted, I want to try both pitching and batting. Of course, discussing with the team comes first. If I have a choice, I'd like to pitch a bit more."

He set the first overall pick, which is not yet confirmed, as his top priority. Ha Hyun-seung explained the reason for his quick decision to stay in Korea: "After announcing that I would stay in the KBO, I received many congratulatory messages. I felt I had to decide my future quickly so as not to cause harm to the next person. Now that I have decided to apply with a clear mind, I am targeting the first overall pick."

He continued, "The signing bonus will double if I perform well, so I have no regrets about staying in Korea. From the moment I made the decision, I resolved to become the best player in the KBO."

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*This content was translated by AI.