[Video] 'Hit a home run, then threw 156 km/h' TEX Kim Sung-jun, perfect fielding record in 101⅓ innings in the minor leagues! Shortstop defense also earns passing grade

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Sung-jun (19, ACL Rangers), known as the 'Gwangju High School Ohtani' for throwing a fastball with a top speed of 97 mph (about 156.1 km/h), once again showcased spectacular defense as a shortstop.

During his time at Gwangju High School, Kim Sung-jun drew attention from MLB teams since his freshman year thanks to his exceptional physical condition and athletic sense. He played both as a pitcher and a batter, serving as the ace, and in his sophomore year, he won the Baseball Star Award at the 2024 Futures Star Awards ceremony.

Texas offered an active vision plan, leading Kim Sung-jun to choose to go to the United States rather than remain in the Korean KBO. Last May, Texas signed a contract with Kim Sung-jun worth $1.2 million (about 1.8 billion won). At the same time, they presented a development plan based on the dual pitcher-batter training program that Shohei Ohtani (32, LA Dodgers) received from Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) Nippon-Ham Fighters.

For the next two years, the focus will be on completing his physical development while he continues to pitch and bat. During the off-season, he spent three days a week with one day of pitching training, two days of batting training, and rest plus weight training. After being assigned to the Rookie League's ACL Rangers, he has been making one pitching appearance per week, playing shortstop twice a week, and serving as a designated hitter for one day before and after each pitching appearance.

As a result, his performance is exceeding expectations. As of the end of games on the 21st, as a batter, he recorded a .292 batting average (38 hits in 130 at-bats), 6 home runs, 32 RBIs, 32 runs scored, and 8 stolen bases (0 failed attempts), with an on-base percentage of 0.408, slugging percentage of 0.515, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.923.

As a pitcher, he has already thrown fastballs reaching up to 98 mph (about 157.7 km/h) according to the scoreboard and 97 mph (about 156.1 km/h) according to Trackman. Over four games, he recorded one loss without a win, an ERA of 1.35, 6⅔ innings pitched, 6 walks or hit-by-pitches (5 walks, 1 hit by pitch), 8 strikeouts, and 3 runs allowed (1 earned run), demonstrating his potential as a pitcher.

The most impressive recent performance was Kim Sung-jun's play as a shortstop. On the 18th (Korean time), he started at shortstop and batted fourth in an away game against the ACL Dodgers (LA Dodgers rookie team), recording one hit (one home run) in four at-bats and driving in three runs, leading the ACL Rangers to a decisive 10-3 victory.

His throwing and movements were noticeably more relaxed than during his high school days. In the bottom of the third inning with one out and runners on first and second, Kim Sung-jun recorded two consecutive outs. When Ray Mariano's hit went toward shortstop, Kim caught the ball, touched second base first, and calmly threw to first base to complete a double play.

He also ended the inning in the bottom of the fourth with a spectacular diving catch. After handling John Gill's grounder as a ground ball, Kim leaped to make a direct catch on Sam Monckley's fast hit. Although his body was slightly leaning toward second base, he used his body's elasticity to snag the ball.

Kim Sung-jun continued to show stable defense in several subsequent plays, surpassing 100 innings as a shortstop in his minor league career. He has played a total of 101⅓ innings (18 innings last year and 83⅓ innings this year) with zero errors.

With right-handed fireballer Kim Sung-jun also earning passing grades as a shortstop, Texas's proposed 'Korean-style Lee Do-young Project' is proceeding smoothly.

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*This content was translated by AI.