From '21st to 10th': Jang Hyun-seok's evaluation is a huge hit! ERA in the 5s at Single-A, yet he makes a dramatic turnaround with 'Entry into LAD Top 10'

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

His ERA was in the 5s on the Single-A stage this season, but his prospect ranking actually soared vertically from 21st to 10th. It is truly a huge evaluation hit. Jang Hyun-seok (22, Great Lakes Loons) has begun to receive high praise again in the United States for his potential.

The U.S. media outlet 'True Blue LA' introduced the Top 10 Dodgers prospects for the 2027 season selected by Baseball Prospectus (BP) on the 5th (Korean time). BP listed Jang Hyun-seok as the 10th-ranked prospect overall within the Dodgers organization.

Jang Hyun-seok, who was ranked 21st in the same outlet's evaluation ahead of the 2026 season, jumped 11 spots in just one year. Among Dodgers pitchers, he ranks third behind Cristian Saseta (5th) and Jack Root (6th). BP evaluated that "the only reason Jang Hyun-seok is not being evaluated alongside the top-tier pitching prospects in the Dodgers system is that he has not been able to stay on the pitcher's mound consistently throughout the season."

Jang Hyun-seok was evaluated as one of Korea's top baseball prospects since his days at Masan Yongma High School. Leading with a maximum fastball speed of 157 km/h, he recorded a 6-3 record with an ERA of 1.85 in 21 games and struck out 102 batters in 68⅓ innings over three high school years. He was evaluated as a candidate for the first overall pick in the 2024 KBO Rookie Draft, but he chose to head to the United States instead of participating in the KBO Rookie Draft, along with his ambition to "challenge on the world's best stage."

The Dodgers had been watching Jang Hyun-seok for a long time. John Deibel, then the Dodgers' Pacific Region Scouting Director, observed Jang Hyun-seok starting from his third year of middle school and signed him by investing $900,000 in international amateur signing bonus in August 2023.

His professional career was not as smooth as expected. In his first professional season in 2024, spent in the Rookie League and Single-A, Jang Hyun-seok recorded a 1-3 record with an ERA of 6.14 in 18 games. He struck out a whopping 68 batters in 36⅔ innings, but also issued 27 walks. He struggled with an ERA of 8.14 in 13 games in the Rookie League, but rebounded after being promoted to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, posting a 2.19 ERA in 5 games and striking out 19 batters in 12⅓ innings.

His overwhelming strikeout ability was noticed early on in the United States as well. MLB.com highly rated Jang Hyun-seok's mid-90 mph fastball, mid-80 mph slider, and high-80 mph changeup. Last year, they raised Jang Hyun-seok to 15th among Dodgers prospects, describing him as having "overpowering stuff." They also predicted that "while the Dodgers are developing him as a starting pitcher, if his control issues continue, there is a possibility he could grow into a high-leverage bullpen arm utilizing his powerful pitches."

The challenges were clear in 2025 as well. Starting all 13 games at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, Jang Hyun-seok threw 40⅔ innings and recorded 54 strikeouts, but also issued 32 walks. He finished with a 2-loss record and an ERA of 4.65. After the season, he wavered in the Arizona Fall League, managing only 7 strikeouts while issuing 9 walks in 9 innings for an ERA of 9.00. MLB.com also evaluated at the time that "his interesting stuff remains, but he struggled to control it properly."

This year, he showed different possibilities. Looking only at his overall season stats, a 5-3 record with a 5.42 ERA in 20 games was ordinary. He struck out 83 batters and issued 32 walks in 81⅓ innings for a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 1.41. However, digging into the details, his control changed significantly. Jang Hyun-seok recorded a 3-3 record with a 5.91 ERA in 16 games at Single-A Ontario, striking out 85 batters and issuing 29 walks in 67 innings. After being promoted to High-A Great Lakes at the end of July, he showed a transformed appearance.

He dominated his High-A debut with 3 hits allowed, no walks or hit batters, and 8 strikeouts in 6 scoreless innings. In his next start, he struck out 10 batters without issuing a walk in 5⅓ innings. Although he was placed on the injured list near the end of the season and could not play many games, his final High-A stats were a 2-0 record with a 3.14 ERA in 4 games, striking out 23 batters and issuing 3 walks in 14⅓ innings. His walks per 9 innings dropped to 1.9, while his strikeouts per 9 innings soared to 14.4.

His career minor league stats are a 6-8 record with a 5.39 ERA in 51 games over three seasons, striking out 230 batters in 158⅔ innings. His ability to make batters swing and miss has been consistent, with a career strikeouts per 9 innings rate reaching 13.0. The key lies in health and durability. Jang Hyun-seok was placed on the injured list this year as well, following 2024 and 2025. It depends on whether he can maintain his powerful stuff and significantly improved control throughout an entire season.

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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original