Kiwoom Heroes manager Seol Jong-jin, who met the "top-tier rookie" Ha Hyun-seung (195 cm) for the first time: "I thought he was thin, but his physique is actually better"

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes manager Seol Jong-jin (53) could not hide his satisfied smile after seeing the "top-tier rookie" Ha Hyun-seung (18) in person for the first time.

Manager Seol held a meeting with the 2027 draft picks on the 6th at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, ahead of the game against KT Wiz. In an interview with reporters on site before the game, when asked about his encounter with the rookies, Manager Seol said, "I did not meet Ha Hyun-seung alone; about 12 drafted rookies came to my office together." He added, "I congratulated them on being drafted and welcomed them to Kiwoom Heroes."

Manager Seol also reminded the newcomers taking their first steps in professional baseball to maintain strict self-discipline. "Just because you have come to the pros does not mean you can let your guard down now," Manager Seol said. "They will soon join the offseason training, so I told them to manage their bodies thoroughly and meet again in good health."

In particular, Manager Seol did not hold back his praise for Ha Hyun-seung's first impression, given the high expectations surrounding the 195th cm rookie's exceptional physical build. "We did not have a separate conversation, but he looked even taller than I had imagined," Manager Seol said. "I thought he was on the thinner side, but in person, his physique looked much better." He continued, "It seems he has built up quite a bit of muscle strength since I saw him on video during the summer," expressing satisfaction with his unexpected physical condition.

Finally, Manager Seol also reflected on rookie pitcher Park Jun-hyeon's performance this season, who has been a key part of the young pitching staff. Regarding Park, who was scheduled to start that day, Manager Seol said, "Looking back, he did not have much luck with wins, but he helped the team by working through the starting rotation. He pitched around 90 innings as planned without injury and gained good experience." He added, "I would give him a score of 70. Of course, I am keeping him in the pool of starting candidates for next year," expressing his trust in the rookie.

Meanwhile, Kiwoom set its starting lineup against KT as follows: Choo Jae-hyun (designated hitter), Davidson (first baseman), Hiura (left fielder), Kim Woong-bin (third baseman), Park Chan-hyeok (right fielder), Lim Byung-uk (center fielder), Kim Dong-heon (catcher), Yeom Seung-won (second baseman), and Choi Jae-young (shortstop). Ahead of the game, Kiwoom removed Jeon Jun-pyo, Won Jong-hyun, and Yuto from its first division roster. Only catcher Park Seong-bin was added to the first division roster.

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*This content was translated by AI.