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“I want to have a long run like senior Jung Woo-ram”

Hanwha Hwang Jun-seo

Hwang Jun-seo (18), wearing the Hanwha Eagles uniform as the 'overall first pick' in this year's professional baseball rookie draft, chose team seniors Ryu Hyun-jin and Jeong Woo-ram as his role models.

Hwang Jun-seo said, “I haven’t seen the two seniors throw in person, but I am watching a lot of videos. “I want to develop further and become like my seniors,” he said.

Hwang Jun-seo is the biggest high school pitcher who has been attracting attention since his second year at Jangchung High School.

With a physique of 187 cm and 80 kg, he played 49⅔ innings in 15 high school league games this year, recording 6 wins, 2 losses, and an ERA of 2.16. He struck out 58 while giving up 16 walks. Above all, what stands out is that there were no home runs.

Hwang Jun-seo (Jang Chung-go), who was selected as the first pick in the first round by the Hanwha Eagles, is giving his thoughts at the '2024 KBO Rookie Draft' held at the Grand Ballroom of the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 14th.

Hwang Jun-seo, who was recognized for his consistent performance, was given the honor of being selected first overall in the rookie draft.

After joining Hanwha, Hwang Jun-seo joined the finishing camp held in Miyazaki, Japan on the 1st and took his first steps as a professional player.

Hwang Jun-seo, whom we met on the 28th, said, “I had a lot to learn from my seniors in terms of skills and personality. He shared his thoughts on finishing the camp, saying, “I did a blue and white evangelism mission during the camp, and I definitely felt that professionals are at a different level.”

There are many changes in the KBO League in the 2024 season, when Hwang Jun-seo debuts. In particular, the introduction of robot referees and pitch clocks are factors that have a great influence on pitcher Hwang Jun-seo.

Hwang Jun-seo, who revealed that he studied and trained for this at the finishing camp, explained, “I heard that his upper and lower strike zones were wider, so I focused on that and threw the ball.”

The Cheongbaek Battle held at the finishing camp was a great experience for Hwang Jun-seo, allowing him to taste the professional level in advance.

Hwang Jun-seo said, “I thought I needed to change the ball combination because the seniors were definitely targeting me. “He was hit by a lot of fastballs, and his response to fastballs was different from amateurs,” he said. “Because the completion of the slider is still only about 50%, we plan to improve the perfection of the off-season.”

The most difficult part for new players during their debut season is ‘physical strength.’ Because they have to play 144 games, which are much more intense than the amateur schedule, it is important to build up stamina to last a full season.

Regarding this, Hwang Jun-seo said, “While reading articles about senior players, I felt once again that physical strength is very important. He emphasized, “I will use the experience of my seniors as a stepping stone to efficiently develop my stamina and build a body that can complete the season.”

Regarding the position he wants in the pros, he said, “Right now, just throwing the ball is so much fun. He doesn't mind throwing long as a starter or throwing often out of the bullpen. “He plans to throw whatever the team tells him to do,” he said.

Hwang Jun-seo's goal is to become a 'long-running player'. It is the same reason that Jung Woo-ram was chosen as a role model. Jung Woo-ram, nicknamed ‘Rubber Arm’, is a legend who has grown into a representative pitcher in the KBO League with consistent performance since his debut in 2004.

Hwang Jun-seo said, “Like senior Jeong Woo-ram, I want to have a long career with various experiences regardless of position.”

Hwang Jun-seo will now move to Seosan, where the 2nd team is located, and begin preparations for his full-fledged debut by participating in his rookie camp.