"NC Dinos' 12 Roster Review: It's Not Just Park Bo-seung, the Five-Tool Player! Who Are the 'Baby Dinosaurs' Making Their Debut on October 3 in Changwon?"

*This content was translated by AI.

Twelve "baby dinosaurs" who will be responsible for the future of NC Dinos are set to appear before fans in Changwon for the first time.

NC will hold its home game against the SSG Landers at Changwon NC Park on October 3 as "2026 Draft Day." This event marks the first official meeting between rookie players selected by NC in the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft and fans after their professional debut.

This year, the families of rookie players are also invited to Changwon NC Park to express gratitude to those who have stood by them from the draft through their professional debut. The meeting between fans and rookies begins before the game starts. At GATE 1~3, commemorative cheering towels for Draft Day will be given to entering spectators, and near GATE 1 and next to the Starbucks on the first floor, uniforms and caps worn by rookie players during high school, along with messages expressing their ambitions after turning professional, will be displayed.

Twelve rookie players will greet fans directly from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at GATE 1 through 3 and the team store as part of an open-door greeting event. They will also hold a signing session with 90 pre-registered fans. Before the game, all players will perform position-based relay first pitches and showcase a special performance symbolizing "Baby Dinosaur."

Twelve rookies met the Changwon fans for the first time on this day. NC received the 27th overall pick in the third round of the 2027 Rookie Draft after sending catcher Park Se-hyeok to Samsung Lions last year, allowing them to select one more player than other teams this year, totaling 12.

NC's first pick was Park Bo-seung (18), a center fielder and captain from Gyeongnam High School, selected sixth overall in the first round. Standing 184 cm tall and weighing 81 kg, the left-handed pitcher and batter outfielder has drawn attention as a five-tool player since last year, when he focused on playing as an infielder/outfielder and demonstrated exceptional contact ability. NC General Manager Im Seon-nam stated, "We selected him because we evaluated him as the player with the highest potential to grow into a starting center fielder among all participants in this draft."

NC introduced Park Bo-seung as a player with "spray hitter-type offensive production capable of generating hits and reaching base through sophisticated contact skills that can handle all pitches and locations," adding that he is "a prospect with high potential to grow into a five-tool player, possessing balanced competitiveness across hitting, fielding, and baserunning, along with superior physical attributes and athletic ability."

NC scout team leader Kim Hyung-jun identified Park Bo-seung's most significant differentiator as his fielding, which he personally verified on-site. Speaking to StarNews, Team Leader Kim stated, "What we are most confident about is his ability to judge when a ball is hit. That ability is outstanding," adding, "We judged that he possesses the qualities of a center fielder who can truly represent the league."

The 16th overall pick in the second round was infielder Woo Ju-ro (18) from Daejeon High School. Standing 183 cm tall and weighing 80 kg, Woo is a right-handed batter who also played as an infielder for the youth national team. NC stated that "Woo Ju-ro possesses stable hitting ability based on excellent bat control and can demonstrate punch power at the plate," adding that "in defense, he has excellent instincts and can handle shortstop and all infield positions, making him highly versatile on both offense and defense."

NC selected two players in the third round. With the 26th overall pick, they acquired Gangneung High School left-handed pitcher Im Jun-won (19), who stands 187 cm tall and weighs 93 kg. They then added Daeok High School outfielder Hwang Sung-hyun (18) with the 27th overall pick from Samsung. NC stated, "Im Jun-won possesses excellent physical attributes, with a fast arm speed and high release point that enable him to disrupt batters' timing." The team further evaluated him as "a player capable of throwing fastballs, sliders, and changeups, and who has the competitiveness to pitch effectively against both left-handed and right-handed batters."

Hwang Sung-hyun stands 188 cm tall and weighs 110 kg, possessing the most imposing physique among this year's NC rookies. He is a power hitter who anchored the lineup for Deoksu High School and the youth national team. NC gained particular confidence from his performance on the international stage. In fact, the entire NC scouting staff traveled to Taiwan, where the U-18 Asian Championship was held, to watch the players in action.

Team Leader Kim said, "All members traveled to Taiwan and held daily meetings on-site. Because we had direct observations that gave us confidence, we were able to make bold selections. We selected him with full confidence after seeing his performance with the youth national team." He added, "He is a power-hitting prospect capable of producing extra-base hits in all directions across the field. With fast batted-ball speed and high on-base ability, he demonstrates strong offensive production. As an OPS-type hitter with clear power-hitting and on-base skills, he is a player who can add weight to the lineup."

In the fourth round, with the 36th overall pick, NC selected infielder Kang In-gyu (18) from Cheongju High School, a player they had been closely watching. Standing 187 cm tall and weighing 88 kg, Kang is a right-handed batter who throws left-handed. He served as captain of Cheongju High this year and began his baseball journey in Nonsan, Chungcheongnam-do, where he nurtured his dream of becoming a professional player while watching Hanwha and Jung Geun-woo. NC stated, "He is a player who can demonstrate excellent energy in both offense and defense based on his superior physical condition and athletic ability." They further added, "In the batter's box, he shows strong power to produce hits and stable batting metrics. He is capable of hitting the ball in all directions across the stadium without favoring any specific side."

NC secured position players boldly in the upper rounds and subsequently focused on bolstering its pitching staff. Team Manager Kim explained the background, stating, "When looking at the overall pool this year, the position player side was strong, but the absolute numbers were insufficient." He added, "The strategy was to proceed with confident position players first, secure them boldly and strongly before moving on to pitchers."

The 46th overall pick in the fifth round is Lee Jeong-chan (19), who stands 182 cm tall and weighs 90 kg, a right-handed batter and right-handed pitcher. NC stated, "Lee Jeong-chan is a starting right-handed pitcher with excellent pitching feel and stable command, maintaining a low walk ratio. He demonstrates outstanding game management skills by engaging in aggressive play and actively utilizing inside pitches. Based on his stable fastball command and well-developed breaking balls, he has the ability to maintain control throughout the later innings of games."

Gangneung High School right-hander Kim Min-chan (18) was selected by NC with the 56th overall pick in the sixth round. Standing 185 cm tall and weighing 90 kg, Kim Min-chan formed a one-two punch on the mound alongside Im Jun-won. NC stated that "Kim Min-chan possesses stable fastball command utilizing both corners, a high strike rate, and a quick motion," adding that he "demonstrates the ability to engage in timing battles with batters and maintain an aggressive approach during critical situations."

In the seventh round, right-handed pitcher Seo Chan-hyeok (19) from Daegu Sangwon High School, selected 66th overall, possesses two reliable pitches as his strength. NC explained, "He is a right-handed pitcher with a powerful fastball and a fast, sharp slider, demonstrating strong ability to aggressively attack the strike zone based on these two pitches." They added, "In particular, he has the advantage of being able to engage batters using his slider."

In the eighth round, with the 76th overall pick, NC selected Ma Jin-hyeok (18, Daegu High School), a towering right-handed pitcher standing 191 cm tall and weighing 107 kg. He possesses the most imposing physique among all NC rookie pitchers. NC stated that he is "a power-pitching type right-handed pitcher with excellent physical conditions and strength," adding that "his outstanding physique and heavy fastball are his strengths. He does not issue many walks and has the ability to attack the strike zone."

In the ninth round, with the 86th overall pick, NC Dinos selected Kwon Hee-jae (20), a right-handed batter and catcher from Busan University of Science and Technology, who stands 181 cm tall and weighs 93 kg. He is the only college player among this year's rookies. NC stated, "He is a player with high stability in both batting and fielding among available college catchers." The team further noted, "In particular, he is a spray hitter type who produces hits to all fields based on precise bat control. He possesses excellent situational hitting ability, along with stable contact skills, and shows significant growth potential and high expectations in terms of power."

The 96th overall pick in the 10th round was Park Si-hoo (18), a right-handed pitcher from Yatab High School, standing 182 cm tall and weighing 72 kg. Park Si-hoo formed a one-two punch with Lee Won-young at Yatab High School, leading the team to a runner-up finish in this year's E-Mart Cup. NC explained that "Park Si-hoo's strengths lie in his stable strike zone control and ability to utilize sliders," adding that "his quick motion and pitching fielding movements are also good, and he possesses fundamental game management skills."

In the final 11th round, with the overall 106th pick, Kim Ho-seung (18), a right-handed batter and infielder from Bukil High School standing 180 cm tall and weighing 84 kg, was selected by NC. NC stated, "Kim Ho-seung is an aggressive player who demonstrates active play across all aspects of offense, defense, and base running. He possesses pure power and solid contact ability, and based on his exceptional baseball sense, he can be utilized in various batting orders. As he can handle all infield positions, his defensive versatility is high."

The 12 players selected reflect the direction NC established for this draft. First, they secured confident batters such as Park Bo-seung, Woo Ju-ro, Hwang Sung-hyun, and Kang In-gyu in the early rounds, followed by a sequential reinforcement of pitchers equipped with control and the ability to attack the strike zone. General Manager Im Seon-nam commented, "Overall, this was a very satisfactory draft. We selected pitchers primarily based on their control and ability to consistently target strikes. I am particularly satisfied that we were able to select all the players who had been considered as top candidates for selection. This was a draft where we could proceed with selections exactly according to the direction planned by the club."

The selection is now complete, and it is time to greet the fans. The NC scout team participated in the draft event wearing a specially designed draft uniform for the fourth consecutive year through this year. This year's uniform features '27' engraved on it, with the 2027 Draft emblem on the left sleeve and the NC emblem on the right. The chest bears the phrases 'NC DINOS' and 'DRAFT 2027'. The drafted rookies also wore the same uniforms at the event.

On October 3, veterans will also take the field wearing draft jerseys engraved with their respective years of joining the team. This event looks back on NC's history since its founding in 2011 and expresses hope that the 12th rookies who will join in 2027 will write the next chapter. The rookies will directly participate in inning events such as the Busan Milk Milk Song Challenge and a grip strength contest with fans during the game. They will also take to the cheering platform to share their thoughts on joining the team and their resolve, and will conduct a lucky ball event featuring autographed merchandise.

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*This content was translated by AI.