"Even if I strike out four times, I won't pitch" Jang Jae-young, who wrote a diary with a pen every day, returns after hitting 12 home runs at the Military Sports Agency "I am not a player to be expected of... I will prepare well"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The elite pitching prospect, who entered the professional ranks with a signing bonus of 900 million won, did not regret his choice to pick up the bat again. This is the story of Jang Jae-young (24, Armed Forces Sports Agency), who is finding his own path after numerous trials and errors.

Jang Jae-young started as the Military Sports Agency's No. 4 hitter and first baseman in a practice game against the KT Wiz at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 27th to prepare for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League Korea Series, but managed only three strikeouts in three at-bats with no hits.

The opponent was no pushover. Davis Daniel (30), the foreign ace of the KT, who finished first in the regular season, took the mound as the starter. Jang Jae-young struck out looking in both the top of the second and the top of the fourth innings. He also grounded into a shortstop double play against veteran Oh Gyu-min (41) with two outs and a runner on first in the top of the seventh inning, leaving him to watch the Military Sports Agency's 0-7 defeat.

Jang Jae-young's past two years cannot be judged by the result of a single game. Recognized for his outstanding talent in both pitching and batting since his days at Deoksu High School, Jang Jae-young was selected with the first overall pick by the Kiwoom Heroes in the 2021 rookie draft. His signing bonus at the time was a whopping 900 million won, one of the highest amounts in KBO League history for a rookie contract.

However, the professional stage was not easy. Despite fastballs exceeding 150 km/h, chronic control issues held him back. From 2021 to 2023, he recorded a record of 1 win and 6 losses with an ERA of 6.45 in 56 games and 103⅓ innings in the first division. In the Futures League as well, he allowed 110 walks over his career total of 36 games and 106⅔ innings as a pitcher.

Subsequently, an elbow injury compounded the issues, leading him to make the significant decision to switch to being a batter in 2024. In 38 first-division games in 2024, he recorded a batting average of 0.168 with 4 home runs and 13 RBIs. Through last year, his career totals as a batter in the first division stood at 49 games, a batting average of 0.165 (22 hits in 133 at-bats), 4 home runs, and 15 RBIs.

The turning point was the Military Sports Agency. Jang Jae-young, who enlisted in May last year, reworked his batting fundamentals from scratch under the guidance of Manager Park Chi-wang (57). Meeting with reporters before an evaluation game, Jang Jae-young reflected, "When I first enlisted, I started with indoor batting practice. The manager told me to establish a framework from the very beginning, so I didn't even swing a bat outside. It seems that re-establishing my fundamentals from the basics led to this season's performance."

The effect was clear. Jang Jae-young recorded a batting average of 0.280 (54 hits in 193 at-bats), 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, and 39 runs scored in 71 Futures League games this year, along with an on-base percentage of 0.439, a slugging percentage of 0.544, and an OPS of 0.983. While drawing 50 walks, he limited his strikeouts to 66, showing potential in his plate discipline as well.

Jang Jae-young explained, "I focused more on correcting my weaknesses than on the number of home runs. I concentrated on reducing strikeouts and improving the ratio of walks to strikeouts. Home runs came not from consciously aiming for them, but from trying to hit the ball with the center of the bat."

Manager Park Chi-wang also highly evaluated Jang Jae-young's development. In an interview ahead of the KBO Futures League Championship Series in September, he stated, "When (Jang) Jae-young first joined the team, he was a player with many structural flaws. He would strike out even if you threw him a one-bounce pitch," while adding, "It was a structural issue regarding his batting mechanics and such. Once that part was corrected, he improved noticeably."

Defense was considered just as important as hitting. Jang Jae-young primarily played first base for the Military Sports Agency while consistently practicing outfield defense. Jang Jae-young said, "At first, I thought first base was an easy position, but when I actually did it, it was really hard. There were too many things to do, from handling ground balls and bunts to fielding throws from other infielders," adding, "I don't know which position I will take upon my return, so I am preparing for any position."

Military service even changed his mindset. Jang Jae-young started writing a diary by hand with a pen this year. He said it didn't feel right to write on his phone. He recorded his emotions, whether it was a day he felt good about hitting or a day he was dissatisfied with his play. Jang Jae-young shared, "I just wrote things like 'Today I feel great' or 'It wasn't very good, but I pretended it was.' The diary feels like communication that only the two of us know about. It is nice that I can write down things I cannot say anywhere else," adding, "At the Military Sports Agency, I had a lot of time to focus on myself. It was truly a precious experience."

For Jang Jae-young, who will be discharged from military service on November 11, what remains now is competition at Kiwoom. Kiwoom, which finished last in the standings for the fourth consecutive year, is going through an endless tunnel. However, it could be an opportunity for prospects.

Jang Jae-young stated, "There is more excitement than burden. It was my first full season as a fielder at Navy Headquarters, and I think I know how to prepare." He continued, "Seniors who were discharged from the Military Sports Agency earlier and returned to the team told me not to be intimidated in the first division. It is good to respect opposing players, but on the field, they are enemies you must fight against. I received advice to start thinking that 'I am the best.'"

Regarding the possibility of returning to pitching, he firmly drew a line. Jang Jae-young emphasized, "I have never thought about going back to being a pitcher. Because it is a path I chose after much deliberation, I intend to take responsibility for it. That is why I am preparing even better."

Kiwoom fans are once again expecting a turnaround performance from a major prospect based on the stats Jang Jae-young showed in the Futures League this year. The man himself kept his expectations low. Jang Jae-young resolved, "I do not think I am a player who will be greatly expected just because I am returning. I want to show that I can deliver at this level when I return to the team, and from then on, I will prepare well to compete so that I can build up expectations."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original