[Official] Shocking 'Overuse Controversy': 15 pitches → 49 pitches → 105 pitches; the pitcher himself directly addressed the issue, and Ha Hyun-seung was edged out by a mere two votes as Chungam High School's Kim Ji-yul claimed the prestigious "Choi Dong-won Award"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Kim Ji-yul of Chungam High School, who is scheduled to join the KT Wiz, was selected as the recipient of the "9th Daeseon (Great Fresh) High School Choi Dong-won Award," which honors the top pitcher in Korean high school baseball this year.

The Choi Dong-won Memorial Foundation, which oversees the "Choi Dong-won Award," announced on the 2nd, "We have selected Kim Ji-yul of Chungam High School as the recipient of the 9th 'Daeseon High School Choi Dong-won Award.'"

Five aces who shone on the high school baseball pitcher's mound this season were nominated for this year's "9th Daeseon High School Choi Dong-won Award."

The candidates evaluated by the review committee included: Ha Hyun-seung of Busan High School, who posted an ERA of 0.39 and a WHIP of 0.72 and was named MVP of the 2026 BFA U-18 national team; Park Chan-min of Gwangju Jeil High School, who went undefeated with six wins and an ERA of 1.37 before signing with Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies; Kim Ji-yul of Chungam High School, who led his team to a double crown in national tournaments while recording 17 wins and 171 strikeouts; Lee Jung-chan, who guided Woojin High School in national competitions with an ERA of 1.07 and 92 strikeouts; and Han Gyu-min of Daejeon High School, who earned seven wins and an ERA of 1.11 despite being a sophomore, and received the Cap Award at the Golden Slug Tournament.

The selection of this year's recipient was conducted through a non-public vote by 40 scouts from the 10th professional baseball teams, with five candidates in contention. Kim Ji-yul of Chungam High School won the award with 20 votes. Ha Hyun-seung of Busan High School followed with 18 votes. Han Gyu-min of Daejeon High School and Lee Jung-chan of Woojin High School each received one vote.

The Choi Dong-won Memorial Foundation explained, "The difference in votes between Kim Ji-yul and Ha Hyun-seung was only two, resulting in a fierce race until the very end."

Meanwhile, the criteria for candidates for the Daeseon High School Choi Dong-won Award are based on records from the Korea Baseball & Softball Federation. The strict selection standards include: ▶ 15 or more games pitched ▶ 50 or more innings pitched ▶ 4 or more wins ▶ an ERA of 2.60 or lower ▶ and 55 or more strikeouts. If a player meets any one of these criteria, they become a candidate. After identifying five to six outstanding candidates, the winner is selected by vote.

This season, Kim Ji-yul appeared in 29 games on the high school stage, pitching 132⅔ innings to record 17 wins and two losses with an ERA of 1.57. He also struck out 171 batters. He took responsibility for his team's pitcher's mound while leading them to a double crown in national tournaments, demonstrating his presence in key statistics such as wins and strikeouts. In the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft, he was selected by the KT Wiz.

Upon hearing the news of his award, Kim Ji-yul expressed his gratitude, saying, "I am thankful that my coaches and manager gave me many opportunities," and added, "It feels like a reward for working hard, so I am grateful."

Given that he pitched in 29 games this season over 132⅔ innings with a total of 1,896 pitches, he also addressed concerns about potential overuse.

On the 16th of last month, Kim Ji-yul threw 15 pitches over two innings against Jeju High School in the Round of 16 of the 107th National Sports Festival, recording three strikeouts and no runs allowed. After resting for one day, he pitched four innings against Seokwang High School in the quarterfinals on the 18th, throwing 49 pitches to allow two hits and one walk while striking out six batters and giving up one run, leading Chungam High School to a 4-3 victory. After two days of rest, he also handled 105 pitches against Gwangju Il High School on October 21. In just six days from the 16th, he appeared in three games, throwing 169 pitches over 12⅓ innings.

Kim Ji-yul stated, "My physical condition was fine, and my manager kept asking me how I felt. Since I was okay, I went out on the pitcher's mound," adding, "I am grateful to feel like I have become a player who can take responsibility." He continued, "There were many excellent players, so I think they gave me the High School Choi Dong-won Award for these reasons," and added, "Thank you."

The recipient of the "Daeseon High School Choi Dong-won Award" is awarded a prize of 10 million won. Of the 10th million won sponsored by Daeseon Shuzo, 5 million won is provided as a scholarship to the recipient, Kim Ji-yul, and 5 million won is supported for his school, Chungam High School.

Kang Jin-soo, Secretary-General of the Choi Dong-won Memorial Foundation, commented, "It seems the review committee gave high marks because he is an ace who guarded the pitcher's mound with an incredible sense of responsibility, making it hard to believe he is a high school player completing a season," and added, "He closely resembles Choi Dong-won in his youth."

He continued, "Now, instead of concerns about overuse, I hope he will grow while receiving systematic management as a professional player at KT," adding, "I hope he develops into a great pitcher who follows in the footsteps of Choi Dong-won."

The Choi Dong-won Memorial Foundation stated, "We hope that the award named after Choi Dong-won will serve not only to evaluate records and performance but also as an opportunity to reflect on creating an environment where future key figures in baseball can grow healthily."

The 13th BNK Busan Bank Choi Dong-won Award and the 9th Daeseon High School Choi Dong-won Award ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on November 11 at the Ocean Hall on the second floor of the Busan Bank headquarters.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original