"He showed why he is the overall No. 1 pick" — Hahyun-seung, who dominated Taiwan with a 152 km/h fastball and 12 strikeouts, takes the mound again in today's fateful Korea-Japan matchup (11th)

*This content was translated by AI.

Hahyun-seung (18, Busan High), the ace of the South Korean U-18 national baseball team that overwhelmed host nation Taiwan, will take the mound again in a fateful Korea-Japan match that will determine whether they advance to the finals.

Hahyun-seung is scheduled to start in the first game of the Super Round of the 14th Asian Youth Baseball Championship at Taipei Dome in Taipei, Taiwan, at 1:30 p.m. on the 11th, facing Japan.

This match will largely determine whether they advance to the finals. South Korea advanced to the Super Round as the top team in Group B after defeating Taiwan, Singapore, and Thailand. Japan also secured first place in Group A by winning all three group-stage games via cold game (early termination). If South Korea defeats Japan, it will secure a highly advantageous position for advancing to the finals. Conversely, if they lose, they will have to wait until the result of their match against the Philippines on the 12th.

Therefore, Hahyun-seung's decision to pitch exactly 90 pitches and then come down in the Taiwan game was significant. According to tournament rules, a pitcher who throws up to 90 pitches can appear again after resting for three days. This was a strategic move made with the Super Round matchup against Japan in mind from the start of the Taiwan game. In the first group-stage match of Group B in a previous tournament, Hahyun-seung started against Taiwan, pitching 5⅔ innings, allowing two hits, no walks, and recording 12 strikeouts while keeping the score at zero, leading South Korea to a 2-0 victory.

He started with intensity. In the bottom of the first inning, Hahyun-seung threw a 152 km/h fastball as his first pitch to the leadoff batter. He allowed a triple that cleared the right-field fence after being hit by a 150 km/h fastball from the third batter, Jang Yi-an, but he did not lose composure. However, he prevented any runs when shortstop Eom Jun-sang fielded a hard-hit ball with a backhand and made a running throw to get the runner out.

After overcoming the initial hurdle, Hahyun-seung completely took control of the game at his own pace. In the bottom of the second inning, he induced a swing-and-miss from the final batter with a dropping breaking ball. In the third inning, he recorded a strikeout by throwing a 148 km/h fastball that was stuck in the hanbok zone (strike zone), and then induced another swing-and-miss by letting a 135 km/h slider drift outside. When batters focused on the fast ball, the breaking ball would dart away; when they waited for the breaking ball, a 150 km/h fastball would penetrate the strike zone.

His pitching in the fifth inning summarized his performance that day. Hahyun-seung struck out the leadoff batter with three curveballs at 129 km/h, then followed up by throwing two consecutive 150 km/h fastballs low to the next batter. With a count of 0 balls and 2 strikes, he threw another 150 km/h fastball for a swing-and-miss strikeout. He also induced a fly ball to right field from the final batter with a 150 km/h fastball.

The more than 20 km/h difference in velocity between his curveballs around 130 km/h and his 150 km/h fastballs, combined with sliders and changeups released from similar points, made it difficult for Taiwanese batters to find their timing.

His stuff did not drop off even in the sixth inning. He got the first batter out on a strikeout looking, and despite having thrown over 80 pitches, he recorded another strikeout by throwing fastballs exceeding 150 km/h. After allowing one hit to center field, with two outs and a runner on first base, and a count of 2 balls and 2 strikes, he reached exactly 90 pitches and came off the mound.

Praise poured in after the game. A KBO scout who watched the match told StarNews, "He showed why Hahyun-seung is a candidate for the overall No. 1 pick." Even Jang Yi-an, the captain of the Taiwanese lineup who was the only one to hit extra-base hits against him, admitted his difficulties in an interview with local media: "Hahyun-seung's fastball and slider trajectories were exactly the same. With changeups mixed in, batters became anxious."

The opposing starting pitcher, Liu Lun-yu, had the same assessment. Liu met Hahyun-seung again the day after the game and said, "His release point was really good, and the trajectories of his fastball and breaking balls were identical, making it difficult for batters." He added with surprise, "It was impressive that he could throw powerfully even through the sixth inning."

Hahyun-seung is a left-handed pitcher under the standards of the Korea Baseball and Softball Association (KBSA), standing 194 cm tall and weighing 94 kg. He possesses a top-speed 152 km/h fastball, two types of sliders, and deception. In 14 games this year, he recorded 4 wins with no losses, an ERA of 0.39, 45⅔ innings pitched, 77 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 0.72. As a two-way player, he also posted a batting average of 0.383, 3 home runs, 21 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.088. His talent has already been recognized; last year as a sophomore, he won the "Miracle Star Award" at the "2025 Futures Star Awards."

A Kiwoom player holding the overall No. 1 pick in this year's rookie draft also closely watched Hahyun-seung's pitching. Kim Geon-hee, a catcher for Kiwoom who met on the 8th at Jamsil, said after watching the Taiwan game, "I saw that Hyun-seung pitched well. He recorded about 12 strikeouts, which is amazing. I don't know yet if he will come to our team, but he shows talent and has excellent physical attributes, so I look forward to it."

However, for Hahyun-seung, the task given before the rookie draft is to wear the national emblem and overcome Japan. South Korea aims to reclaim the title for the first time since the 2018 Asian Championship. To reach the top, they must ultimately surpass Japan.

Hahyun-seung, whom I met during the departure Jeon (CEO) team training, expressed his determination: "Last year, I pitched against both Taiwan and Japan. This year, my goal is to pitch in both games again. I hope to take on the role of being the ace so that our team can win matches."

He proved those words in the Taiwan game. Now it is time for him to provide the second answer as an ace in the Japan game.

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*This content was translated by AI.