Sung Jae-heon, who was born in 1997, left Seongnam High School and Yonsei University and was selected as the 73rd pick in the LG 2nd 8th round in the 2020 Rookie Draft.
Complementing his slow speed with elaborate control, he was called "Seongnam High School Yoo Hee-kwan" when he was an amateur, and after joining the professional league, he gradually prepared to start in the Futures League, impressing LG manager Ryu Joong-il at the time. Sung Jae-heon has been on the first team stage since his debut and recorded an ERA of 4.15 (two earned in four ⅓) without winning or losing four games. 토토사이트
Sung Jae-heon, however, failed to take the mound in the first division after the game against NC on September 4, 2020. When he was decided to join the military on September 10, 2020, he fulfilled his mandatory military service as a social service worker, and since his release from the military, he has been unable to take the opportunity to call up while playing in the Futures League. Even in the Futures League, Sung Jae-heon did not stand out as much with an ERA of 6.75 in two games in 2022 and three wins, three losses, and 6.13 in 17 games in 2023. Sung was eventually notified by LG in November last year that he could not renew his contract and became an independent.
How was Sung Jae-heon able to extend his active duty at KT? Sung Jae-heon told OSEN on the 10th, "I went around right after the release and found a place where I could take a test. I contacted all the places where I could contact, including Seongnam High School coach Park Hyuk," adding, "KT coach Jang Jae-joong was watching students at Seongnam High School, and Park Hyuk told me well, so I was lucky to take the test."
Sung Jae-heon took the joining test in late November last year in front of KT's pitching coach Je Chun-mo and battery coach Jang Jae-joong. KT, which desperately needed to reinforce left-hander due to Cho Hyun-woo's early retirement, closely observed Sung Jae-heon's pitch, and both coaches Je Chun-mo and Jang Jae-joong gave him passing points on his skills.
Sung Jae-heon recalled two months ago, "I took the test with the intention of showing my full skills rather than doing well because I was released from LG because I had not been able to do anything. I wanted to do it without regret, but fortunately, he took good care of me." Sung Jae-heon received a notification from KT that evening when he took the test, and confirmed his extension of his active duty at a high speed.
Sung Jae-heon said, "It's meaningful that I've extended my active duty," adding, "At first, I didn't feel real when I got a phone call. I didn't understand what was going on, but when I went to the KT club to receive baseball supplies, I saw the KT hat and thought, 'I'm going to do it for another year.'"
Sung Jae-heon cited "lack of self-management" as a factor for his failure when he was a LG Twins player. "I was lucky to join the first division when I was a rookie, and if I had taken the opportunity, I would have had a better career," Sung said. "After the cancellation of the call, I failed to manage myself properly. When I evaluated myself objectively, everything felt ambiguous. I thought I would be released for some reason, but I didn't feel good when I was notified."
KT is committed to never repeating the trial and error of the LG era, as it had to take the opportunity through hard work. "In LG, I had a lot of stress from ball speed. As for professionals, ball speed comes out to a certain extent, so I felt the limit just by controlling my ball speed," Sung said. "However, rather than improving things that I can't do at KT, I want to make sure that I can do well without regret and play baseball again. My goal is to change my mind."
KT is famous for its players from Seongnam High School, Sung Jae-heon's alma mater. Led by the oldest player Park Kyung-soo, Seongnam High School seniors and juniors are doing their part in their respective positions. Bae Jeong-dae and Bae Je-seong attended schools together when they were in high school.
"I was a freshman when (Bae) Jeong-eun was a senior in high school. I am close because I went to school with (Bae) Je-seong," Sung said. " (Jang) Jun-won was with me at LG. I joined LG with (Jo) Yong-geun, who passed the KT test together this time. I think I will probably live with him in Iksan," Sung said, listing players who are close to KT.
Sung Jae-heon's goal for the 2024 season is to return to the first and second teams. "I don't need to say anything else. I'll do my best to prepare for a good result. I think I'll probably join Iksan at first, but I'll do my best to meet my fans in Suwon as soon as possible," he said.
He said, "I will work hard to show up in the first division as soon as possible, so please support me when I get a call-up."
Meanwhile, KT acquired right-handed pitcher Cho Yong-geun (28) along with Sung Jae-hun through a test. Cho Yong-geun is a right-handed pitcher who graduated from Gonggoong High School and Chung-Ang University and joined LG in 2020, and after being released from LG in October 2021, he fulfilled his mandatory military service. He has no record of pitching in the first division, and his overall performance in the Futures League is 3 wins, 1 loss, 6 saves, and 5 holds with an ERA of 5.75 in 41 games