Hanwha consecutively selected Jangchung High School left-handed pitcher duo Hwang Jun-seo and Jo Dong-wook in the first and second rounds of the 2024 rookie draft. After naming ‘Biggest Fish’ Hwang Jun-seo, who has been selected for the youth national team since his sophomore year, as the first overall pick in the first round, they selected Jo Dong-wook, a 192cm tall left-handed three-quarterback, as the 11th pick in the second round. Due to the team’s lack of left-handed pitchers, Hwang Jun-seo and Jo Dong-wook were predictable picks in the first and second rounds. ·

However, the selection of Whimoon High School infielder Jeong An-seok with the 21st overall pick in the third round was unexpected. Jeong An-seok’s main position is second base. Hanwha has Eun-won Jeong and Hyun-bin Moon on second base. Although Eun-won Jeong is underperforming this year, he was a Golden Glove second baseman two years ago, and Hyun-bin Moon, a rookie this year, is also showing outstanding performance by playing as a center fielder in the first half of the year and increasing his usage to second base in the second half of the season. In addition, utility fielder Kim Tae-yeon can also defend second base. Jeong Min-gyu, who is serving in the military at Sangmu, is also considered a potential second baseman candidate.

In a situation where there are many young second basemen in the team, another second baseman was selected as the top pick. It was surprising, but there was a reason. Jeong Min-hyuk, head of the Hanwha scout team, said, “We looked for a player who specializes in offense, and Jeong An-seok is a player with good hitting ability. He has not been able to show his full skills this year due to ankle and toe injuries, but he has good hitting abilities. “He is a player who can become a table setter in the future,” he explained. 

Hanwha has filled its mound by steadily recruiting promising pitchers in recent years, but its fielding lineup is still weak. There is a lack of talent, especially in the hitting department. Defense can be improved through training, but hitting, especially contact, requires natural talent. The reason Moon Hyun-bin was selected 11th overall in the second round against expectations in last year’s draft was to strengthen his batting, and the same reason was applied to Jeong An-seok. He prioritized batting talent over position. 

Jeong An-seok, a right-handed pitching left-handed infielder with a 184 cm, 80 kg physique, recorded a batting average of .298 (14 hits in 47 at-bats), 7 RBIs, 11 walks, 6 strikeouts, and an OPS of .828 in 14 high school games this year. He also played a role as a table setter in the youth national team, playing a leading role in the attack. In the U-18 Baseball World Cup, he showed a batting average of .208 (7 hits in 25 at-bats) in 9 games, walked 4 times, and showed an on-base percentage of .307.9. Hanwha, which needed a player with batting talent even at the risk of overlapping positions, found it difficult to ignore Jeong An-seok.

Team leader Jeong Min-hyuk said, “Rather than assuming the position as infielder, we also opened up the possibility of outfield. He added, “He will focus on hitting whether it is second base or the outfield.” If he shows competitive hitting at second base, he can compete with Jeong Eun-won and Moon Hyun-bin, or he can change his position to the outfield, which is where Hanwha is most lacking. This year’s Lotte players Kim Min-seok and Yoon Dong-hee also succeeded by changing their positions from the infield to the outfield. Jeong An-seok also played two games in the Baseball World Cup, moving from second base to corner outfielder in the second half of the game.  

In the long run, Hanwha’s second base resources are not plentiful. Eun-won Jeong has not yet completed his military service, and Hyun-bin Moon has not been confirmed as a permanent second baseman. Moon Hyun-bin’s position may change due to major changes in team strength, such as the recruitment of foreign batsmen and free agents. Depending on the situation, many changes can occur at second base, and Jeong An-seok can also fill the second base depth as a key option. 

The designation of infielder Hwang Young-mook of the independent club Yeoncheon Miracle with the 31st overall pick in the 4th round is also aimed at accelerating infield competition. The cool internal judgment is that although there are many infielders, there are not many definite constants. Hwang Young-mook is a resource that can serve as a checking force in all infield positions. Team leader Jeong Min-hyuk said, “He is a player who can play shortstop, second base, and third base, and has the highest batting perfection among rookies. “He has also served in the military, and we expect that he will be able to quickly become a force immediately.” 

Lee Ki-chang, a right-handed pitcher from Yushin High School who was selected in the 5th round, is expected to be a player who could be a ‘steal pick’ in the future. Last year, when he was a sophomore, he had a 150km fastball, so he was expected to be selected as a top pick this year, but he performed poorly due to an elbow injury and was selected until the 5th round. 카지노 Team leader Jeong Min-hyuk said, “I had surgery to remove bone fragments from my elbow last week, and I will also have ligament joint surgery soon.” He added, “He is a talented player, and we planned to catch him strategically in the 5th round (taking the surgery into account).” His first year as a member is spent on rehabilitation and he looks forward to the next year. 

Meanwhile, Hanwha selected Dongguk University outfielder Choi Jun-seo in the 6th round, and then selected Gyeongbuk High School catcher Lee Seung-hyun, Inchang High School pitcher Won Jong-hyuk, Jangchung High School outfielder Kwon Hyeon, and Yushin High School pitcher Seung Ji-hwan in the 8th to 11th rounds, respectively. The Hanwha club is looking for the types of players the team needs, considering the special strengths of each player starting from the middle round, including center fielder Choi Jun-seo, who has improved his skills after entering college, fastball pitcher Won Jong-hyuk, outfielder Kwon Hyeon with a power tool, and Seung Ji-hwan, who has the ability to use a variety of breaking balls. “I nominated them,” he said.