'160㎞ prospect with control issues...' Shim Jun-seok follows a path similar to Kim Seo-hyun, 'released again by the Mets'

*This content was translated by AI.

Shim Jun-seok (22), who was expected to grow into a pitcher representing Korean baseball, has also experienced release from his second U.S. team, the New York Mets minor league system.

The New York Mets announced on the 29th (Korean time) that they have released right-handed pitcher Shim Jun-seok, who belongs to their rookie-level Florida Complex League (FCL) Mets.

In 16 games this season in the rookie league, Shim pitched 20 innings with a record of one win and no losses, posting an ERA of 8.55. During those 20 innings, he allowed 30 walks and five hit-by-pitches, continuing to struggle with stabilizing his control, which remains his biggest weakness, and was ultimately released without resolving the issue.

In a game against the FCL Cardinals on the 24th, Shim gave up a bases-loaded home run, pitched only two-thirds of an inning while allowing four runs, performed poorly, and consequently did not receive any further opportunities before leaving the team.

Shim Jun-seok drew attention since his time at Deoksu High School by throwing fastballs in the 150th㎞ range, reaching unofficial speeds up to 160㎞. He was expected as a top pick in the KBO League rookie draft alongside Kim Seo-hyun (Hanwha) and Yoon Young-cheol (KIA). However, in January 2023, he boarded a flight to the United States after signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates for $750,000 (approximately 1.083 billion won).

Shim Jun-seok initially attracted significant attention for his powerful fastball complemented by high-quality breaking balls. In his first year, he recorded 13 strikeouts over four games and eight innings with an ERA of 3.38, raising expectations that he could be selected in a higher round of the draft.

However, shoulder injuries in 2024 prevented him from making even a single appearance, leading to a downward spiral. In July of that year, he was traded and wore the Miami Marlins uniform, but last season he struggled in the rookie league with a record of zero wins and three losses over 13 games, posting an ERA of 10.80. Control remained the issue; he allowed 31 walks and hit-by-pitches combined in just 13⅓ innings.

After being released by Miami last August, Shim joined the new team, the Mets, hoping for a comeback. However, he failed to find answers to the control instability issues that had plagued him since high school and ultimately repeated failures due to the same problem.

Shim Jun-seok appears poised to seek another team and continue his challenge, or possibly consider returning to Korea.

Coincidentally, he shares similar struggles with Kim Seo-hyun, who is of the same age. While Shim chose to go to the United States, Kim Seo-hyun, who was selected first overall in the rookie draft that year and donned a Hanwha uniform, faced early difficulties in his debut despite possessing a powerful fastball in the high 150㎞ range, as he showed weaknesses in control.

In his second season in 2024, Kim attempted to stabilize his control by adjusting his pitching form, but this backfired with a sharp drop in velocity. After manager Kim Kyung-moon took over mid-season and created an environment allowing Kim to pitch more comfortably, Kim transformed into a reliable reliever and last season became Hanwha's closer, achieving 33 saves.

The problem is that this performance did not last long. Poor form at the end of last season carried over into this year. As a result, he shuttled between the first division and minor league teams. After heading down to the minors in May with the clear task of stabilizing his control, he has yet to be called up to the first division. Recently, he even traveled to Japan in an effort to resolve these issues. Since Hanwha still has a long way to go, if it is confirmed that his control problems have been somewhat resolved, he could be called up to the first division.

Although Kim Seo-hyun initially expressed reluctance toward the club's request to modify his pitching form, he could not find an answer on his own and ultimately had to travel to Japan. For Shim Jun-seok, who is facing similar difficulties, it appears that drastic measures will be necessary.

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*This content was translated by AI.