Even MLB is watching '149 km/h 1R left-hander' Park Geun-seo, who threw 3 scoreless innings and retired pro batters with just 34 pitches: "I want to be called up quickly on September 21" [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

More striking than his fastball clocked at a top speed of 149 km/h was the number 34. Park Geun-seo (18, Seoul Design High School), a left-hander rated as one of the top three candidates for the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft, showed what his true competitiveness is against professional players.

On the 27th at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium, Park Geun-seo started for the South Korean U-18 youth national team in a preseason game against Ulsan Whales and pitched three innings without allowing any walks, hit-by-pitches, or runs.

The national team staged a comeback victory, winning 6-2 after their lineup exploded late in the game. This was the first actual match played by Lee Kkeu-neun (CEO) under head coach Jung Yun-jin (55) since the team first synchronized on the 26th at Busan Gijang Ballpark. For Park Geun-seo, it was also his first real game since the first round of the Bonghwangdaegi tournament against Yushin High School eleven days prior. Moreover, his opponents were not high school students; they were adult players with experience in both the KBO and independent leagues. Heavy rain poured shortly after the game began, causing a roughly 30-minute delay, but Park did not lose his rhythm.

There was no spectacular strikeout show, nor was there a blazing fastball. Park's fastest pitch of the day clocked at 143 km/h. Instead, he relied on precision and contact management. Park Geun-seo finished three innings with just 34 pitches. Even in the biggest crisis of the game—the bottom of the second inning with two outs and runners on third base—he induced a groundout from the second baseman to prevent any runs.

His goal from the start was different. After the game, Park Geun-seo said, "Since this was my first real game in a long time and also my first practice match, I focused on controlling my breaking balls and hitting the corners left and right. I didn't worry about velocity at all; instead, I concentrated on being able to handle long innings." He added, "There are parts of my feel that I've been adjusting since the All-Star game, and I focused on those," while also emphasizing, "Naturally, when we reach the main tournament, I plan to give it my all against the best opponents."

Considering Park Geun-seo's season so far, this is a meaningful change. Standing at 188 cm and weighing 95 kg, Park throws a fastball that reaches top speeds of 149 km/h, yet early in the season he was not as widely known as he is now. He underwent surgery on his left elbow's medial collateral ligament (MCL) during his first year at Chungam High School, and after transferring to Seoul Design High School, he began pitching seriously in his third year, unleashing his potential.

The turning point came during the 4th High School-University All-Star Game held at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark last June. He recorded four strikeouts over two innings and was named the tournament MVP. Park Geun-seo reflected, "Before the All-Star game, I had many doubts about whether I would make it to Na Do (CEO). But after receiving the MVP award and hearing people say 'you have a chance,' my worries eased a bit. In a way, that game may have been the one that raised my value the most."

The momentum continued. At the Bonghwangdaegi tournament, Lee Seung-won (18), who was rated as a first-round contender, held strong against Yushin High School and eventually made it to the youth national team. Now, Park Geun-seo will throw with the Taegeuk mark at the Asian Youth Baseball Championship in Taiwan this September.

He has no intention of remaining just a left-hander who throws fastballs. This season, Park Geun-seo modified his curveball to drop from top to bottom instead of breaking sideways and increased the drop on his changeup. He is also refining a cutter that breaks sharply over a short distance, replacing his existing slider. This is part of his process to become a 'starting pitcher' who can succeed at the professional level.

A Major League Baseball (MLB) scout told StarNews, "Among this year's high school seniors, we rate Ha Hyun-seung, Park Geun-seo, and Lee Seung-won the highest. Park has excellent hardware, and his velocity still has room to increase. Even if his control isn't extremely precise, he throws a lot of strikes, so we viewed him as a starting pitcher. I don't know how he would fare by MLB standards, but in terms of pitching mechanics and stamina, he should be able to work as a starter in the KBO."

When the 14th Asian Youth Baseball Championship, held from September 7 to 13 in Taipei, Taiwan, concludes, another important day will come for Park Geun-seo: the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft on September 21.

Park Geun-seo is currently rated as one of the top three prospects with a high likelihood of being selected in the upper tier, alongside Ha Hyun-seung (Busan High School), who is the overall number one candidate. Park Geun-seo smiled and said, "Before the All-Star game, many people didn't know me. But after pitching well at the All-Star game, performing against Yushin High School, and being selected for the youth national team, I think more people are starting to recognize me."

Regarding the increased attention, he held back slightly, saying, "Rather than feeling burdened, I have a stronger desire to show my best performance quickly," but added, "First, I want to show good performances with the national team. With Goshi-en (private cram schools for entrance exams) becoming popular again, I've watched some games recently and was reminded once more of how many talented players there are in Japan. I think there's much to learn from them. However, inside the stadium, we must fight as Na Ra-reul (CEO), so I really want to win. I plan to push forward with confidence no matter what."

When the topic of the draft came up, his answer became even more honest. Park Geun-seo said, "I hope the draft day comes soon. I just want it to arrive quickly and for me to be selected early. I don't really care about which team. Still, since the draft happens only once in a lifetime, my goal is to be called up as quickly and as early as possible."

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*This content was translated by AI.