Like Choi Jung hitting home runs and Park Seung-kyung with his earnestness, Gwangju Ilgo power hitter Jo Hwi-won: "Received about 300 fungos a day... Aiming for a draft selection within the 5th round" [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Jo Hwi-won (18), an infielder and power hitter for Gwangju Ilgo, set his sights on being selected within the first five rounds of the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft through a strong second-half performance.

Jo Hwi-won is a right-handed batter and right-handed thrower with a solid build, standing 184cm tall and weighing 87kg according to the Korea Baseball and Softball Association (KBSA). Starting as a full-time player from his second year, he recorded a .395 batting average (32 hits in 81 at-bats), 4 home runs, 23 RBIs, 26 runs scored, and 3 stolen bases in 26 games, posting an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 1.165, earning attention as a member of a golden generation.

However, he could not avoid feeling pressure ahead of his high school graduation and professional draft. In his third year, his performance dipped slightly, with a .266 batting average (21 hits in 79 at-bats), 2 home runs, 17 RBIs, 19 runs scored, and 2 stolen bases in 23 games, recording an on-base percentage of 0.372, a slugging percentage of 0.468, and an OPS of 0.840.

In a recent meeting with StarNews at Gwangju Mudang Baseball Stadium, Jo Hwi-won reflected on the first half of the season: "Last year, once the ball was hit, it kept going straight for hits. My early-season pace this year wasn't bad, but it slowed down a bit when the weekend league started in the second half. I plan to do well starting from the Cheongryonggi Cup."

Despite his performance being worse than last year, Jo Hwi-won is classified as a draft-eligible infielder. He has made significant progress in his third-base defense and in delivering one-hit home runs, giving him an edge over competitors. A KBO scout stated, "Jo Hwi-won is fundamentally a player with power. His third-base defense has also improved considerably this year, so there is a possibility he will be drafted."

There was relentless effort. Jo Hwi-won said, "This winter, I asked the coach to hit fungos to me every morning. I arrived 30 minutes early in the morning and stayed 40 minutes later in the evening. I think I received about 300 balls in total, three times a day. I definitely felt my defense improving, which made me proud," he smiled.

He still cannot forget the scene he saw when he visited Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the fourth grade of elementary school. After starting to play baseball, he dreamed of becoming a home run hitter while watching KBO all-time legend Choi Jung (39, SSG Landers).

Jo Hwi-won said, "I really liked player Kim Ju-chan back then. The team I want to join is KIA. I would be earnest no matter which team calls me, but I like KIA." He added, "I have played third base since I was young, and I admired senior Choi Jung. There are parts of his batting that resemble mine, so I look up all his batting and fielding videos. I am still learning a lot from him now, but I have many things I want to ask when I meet him in the future." He continued, "Senior Choi Jung hits the ball lightly to lift it. I have a similar style. I also consistently do weight training at least 3 to 4 times a week."

Recently, he has become a big fan of Samsung Lions outfielder Park Seung-kyung (26). On April 22, in a Daegu SSG game, Park Seung-kyung came within one double of a "hit for the cycle" (cycle hit), yet in the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs and bases loaded, he hit a triple, moving many people to tears. Had he stopped at second base, he could have become a historic figure in KBO history. The Samsung dugout knew this and signaled him to stop. However, Park Seung-kyung did not hesitate for a moment and ran all the way to third base.

Park Seung-kyung's fighting spirit also stirred the hearts of young prospects.

Jo Hwi-won said, "I really want to meet senior Choi Jung and senior Park Seung-kyung once I join the KBO." He recalled, "I felt the earnestness in senior Park Seung-kyung's play. Even though he could have stopped at second base, seeing him run to third base taught me so much." He added, "Our coach Eom Hyun-woong was also senior Park Seung-kyung's teacher during his high school days. That's why I want to work harder to become like senior Park Seung-kyung. He is my current role model," he said with determination.

For now, his goal is to deliver results in the two national tournaments in the second half that match last year's expectations. Jo Hwi-won is aiming for a national championship alongside center fielder Bae Jong-yoon (18), catcher Kim Seon-bin (18), shortstop Jung Hwi-min (18), and right-handed ace Lee Hui-chan (19). Jo Hwi-won shared his honest feelings: "Last year, all four of us played well, so people said Gwangju Ilgo is incredibly strong this year. However, many things did not go as planned. I thought there would be no pressure, but there were parts that were harder than expected."

Once he joins the professional league, he wants to fully showcase his strength: power hitting. Ironically, the opponent he wants to hit against is James Nail (33), the foreign ace of KIA, the team he wants to join.

Jo Hwi-won said, "I want to introduce myself as a batter who, when stepping into the batter's box, can hit a home run and make the opposing team nervous." He continued, "Once I join the KBO, I want to hit against foreign pitchers. In particular, senior Nail's fastball is fast and his breaking balls are excellent, so I want to hit those pitches and earn recognition."

He then added with a bright smile, "I have two younger brothers. They love baseball immensely and are waiting for the day I go to the pros. My dream is to succeed and make my parents and family happy."

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*This content was translated by AI.