The pitcher who sprays the fastest ball ever as a Korean amateur has finally risen to conquer the United States.
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on the 16th (Korean time) that they had signed contracts with 22 international amateur prospects, including right-handed fastball Shim Jun-seok from Deoksu High School.
It is the first day major league clubs can sign international amateur players aged 16 and under. The news that Shim Jun-seok agreed to sign a contract with Pittsburgh has been known through local media since the end of last month. This is what the club announced. On the day Shim Jun-seok completes a physical examination and stamps his contract, his down payment is also expected to be revealed.
MLB.com said on the same day, “Right-hander Shim Jun-seok, who is ranked 10th overall in the MLB pipeline international prospect ranking, is attracting the most attention among the 22 players. The official contract with Pittsburgh is due at the end of this month,” said 18-year-old Shim Jun-seok, who can shoot triple-digit velocity and has a fastball that averages 94 to 96 mph. An international scout in charge of Junior Biscaino introduced that Shim Jun-seok’s fastball has the characteristics of rising rather than sinking due to backspin and speed.’
It is an analysis that Shim Jun-seok’s four-seam fastball is at the top of the major league level in rotation rate and speed.
Pittsburgh Players 메이저놀이터 Director Max Kwan said, “Jun-seok Shim has been on our radar for the past few years. We are lucky to have him recruited. He has a high level of power and rotation. We are happy to actively support him as he develops into a big leaguer.” revealed
The Biscayno scout praised him, saying, “He’s the best prospect in the world right now. He has a natural ability to do anything with a baseball.”
The Pittsburgh scouting team and major league officials are emphasizing Shim Jun-seok’s fastball restraint. It can be said that the pitcher who throws the fastest ball among all Korean amateurs and KBO graduates has embarked on a major league challenge.
Park Chan-ho is the Korean pitcher who threw the fastest ball ever at the time of contract with a major league club. Park Chan-ho drew attention by spraying the highest distance of 156km during his time at Hanyang University. At the Buffalo Universiade in 1993, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were fascinated by Park’s fast ball, signed him for a contract of 1.2 million dollars, and the history of the ‘Korean Express’ began.
Shim Jun-seok threw a fastball of 157km at the national championship last year. His average velocity is between 152 and 154 km. Although the era is different and it is controversial in that it is a speed gun measurement, it is faster than Park Chan-ho in terms of the highest known speed. Moreover, Shim Jun-seok is still only 18 years old. Chan-ho Park was able to throw a 100 mph fastball while going through the minor leagues after his break into the major leagues. Park Chan-ho threw a fastball that was marked as 100 mph on the scoreboard at Coors Field in 1996.
This means that if Shim Jun-seok takes minor league classes in the future, he will be able to shoot as fast as Park Chan-ho. In the MLB Pipeline report, Shim Jun-seok said, ‘Spray fastballs approaching 100 miles, and control is excellent. He is also in good physical condition, has clean arms and athletic ability,’ he explained, ‘and his body balance, quality, and fast ball remind me of the young Park Chan-ho.
Considering these evaluations, Shim Jun-seok’s down payment is expected to be between 2 million and 3 million dollars.