'149km left-handed pitcher + future center fielder': Lotte fills the vacancy first... The reason for passing on 'immediate power hitter' Choi Jiman was clear

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants filled 'future vacancies' rather than 'immediate needs' in the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft.

At the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft held on the 21st, Lotte selected 11 players: Park Geun-seo (18, Seoul Design High School), Bae Jong-yoon (18, Gwangju Ilgo High School), Lee Hyun-min (18, Daegu High School), Won Ji-woo (18, Gangneung High School), Im Sung-jun (18, Yaro High School), Kim Jin-ho (18, Seongnam High School), Choi Su-wan (18, Deoksu High School), Kim Gyu-min (18, Deoksu High School), Park Seo-jin (Kimpo University), Yoon Seung-min (22, Dongguk University), and Kim Si-hoo (18, Baejae High School). The selections included six pitchers, one catcher, three infielders, and one outfielder.

Lotte Scout Team Leader Kim Pung-cheol told reporters after the draft, "We basically determined that we needed a pitcher and a center fielder," adding, "We looked at what our team needs and where we are lacking. We proceeded with filling positions that will be insufficient in the future rather than those that are currently lacking. Had we not considered this, the selections themselves would have been different."

The first piece of this plan was Park Geun-seo, selected fourth overall. According to the Korea Baseball and Softball Association (KBSA) standards, Park stands 188cm tall and weighs 95kg. He is a left-handed pitcher who throws up to 149km/h. While not widely known as a top-tier candidate even before his third-grade season, he rapidly raised his stock starting from the E-Mart Cup.

He is not merely a fireballer. This season, he modified his curveball to drop from top to bottom and increased the drop on his changeup. He also refined his cutter. A Major League (ML) scout previously told StarNews, "His hardware is excellent, and there is room for his velocity to increase further. In terms of pitching mechanics and stamina, we believe he can definitely serve as a starting pitcher in the KBO."

Lotte also viewed Park Geun-seo as a future starting resource. The club explained, "He possesses velocity close to 150km/h and excellent inning-eating ability. His strength lies in pitching from a high release point, and he demonstrates game management skills that keep him steady even in crisis situations. With the ability to overpower batters, superior physical attributes, and clear scarcity, we judged there is sufficient value to develop him as a future left-handed starter."

Bae Jong-yoon, selected 14th overall in the second round, represents the clearest example of Lotte's draft strategy this year. Standing 185cm tall and weighing 82kg, he is a right-handed batter who throws left-handed. He is evaluated as an all-around resource with a smooth swing, ability to handle breaking balls, fast speed, and a strong arm.

This selection may have been slightly faster than expected by other teams. However, there was a clear reason for Lotte. Team Leader Kim explained the background of the pick: "What our team actually needs right now is a center fielder. But can we grow a center fielder immediately?"

The club also stated, "Bae Jong-yoon is an all-around resource with a wide defensive range, strong arm, and fast speed. Based on his excellent ability to handle breaking balls and high contact rate, he can hit flexibly according to the situation at the plate. He stands out for his ability to send quality hits to various parts of the field. With solid physical conditions and outstanding baseball sense, we judged that he has the potential to grow into our team's starting center fielder in the future."

In the third round, they selected another left-handed pitcher, Lee Hyun-min. Lee was once considered a top-level middle school prospect in the Gyeongsang region, even rated higher than Ha Hyeon-seung (18, Kiwoom Heroes). He already threw 148km/h during his first year of high school but later stagnated due to poor performance and elbow discomfort. However, he regained confidence this year. His strengths include a fastball reaching the upper 140s, along with changeups, sliders, and curveballs. In particular, his changeup that induces swings and misses from right-handed batters is highlighted as a key asset.

Lotte's club stated, "He is a resource with stable game management skills. His aggressive pitching that does not retreat stands out, and he is a pitcher with excellent decision-making ability using a high-completion changeup as his primary weapon. Especially, he has the advantage of stealing batters' timing and preventing solid contact through unique movement in each pitch type from a rare low arm slot. We judged there is sufficient value for him to quickly establish himself as a core left-handed relief pitcher on our mound."

Moving down to the fourth round with Won Ji-woo fills another future position. Standing 181cm tall and weighing 85kg, Won Ji-woo is evaluated as one of the catchers with the most stable defensive skills at the high school level. He also led Korea to victory in the 18th-and-under Asian Championship with his stable leadership. At that time, a scout from another KBO club told StarNews, "He was famous as a catcher with hitting talent since his Suwon Buk Middle School days. At Gangneung High School, he grew steadily in both offense and defense to the point where people said he was closer to a defensive-type catcher."

The club added, "Won Ji-woo is a catcher resource who shows high stability in both offense and defense based on solid fundamentals and a sturdy physique. He stands out for his excellent game leadership and management skills that maximize the pitcher's strengths, and he is a type capable of producing extra-base hits at the plate. We judged there is sufficient value to develop him as a key catcher resource responsible for the team's future."

From the middle rounds, they added depth to the center infield and bullpen. In the fifth round, Im Sung-jun was selected as a center infield resource with high contact ability, good plate discipline, fast speed, stable footwork, and accurate throwing skills. In the sixth round, right-handed pitcher Kim Jin-ho was chosen for his concise pitching form, stable balance, and variety of breaking balls, showing potential for future bullpen use.

In the seventh round, Choi Su-wan was selected as a center infielder with good game sense and defensive skills. In the eighth round, right-handed pitcher Kim Gyu-min was targeted as a bullpen resource based on his stable control utilizing both corners of the plate, aggressive battles inside, and a valuable slider.

In the ninth round, right-handed pitcher Park Seo-jin from Kimpo University was viewed as a card that can be utilized relatively quickly in the bullpen due to his strong velocity and high deception. In the tenth round, Yoon Seung-min was selected as a utility resource capable of playing all infield positions. Finally, in the eleventh round, they chose 190cm tall left-handed pitcher Kim Si-hoo, once again securing future possibilities on the mound.

The decision to pass on Choi Jiman (35, KT Wiz), who was once mentioned as a first-round candidate for Lotte, followed the same logic. Team Leader Kim explained, "We considered Choi Jiman extensively," but added, "I thought our young players also need to grow. I pondered whether opportunities should go to those players."

Thus, while continuing to develop existing young position players, Lotte chose to fill potential future vacancies in the Rookie Draft.

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*This content was translated by AI.