Chung Hyeon-soo (22), a left-hander at Songwon University in Gwangju, is from Busan. He graduated from Daeyeon Elementary School, Busan Middle School, and Busan High School. Pitcher Han Seung-joo, who joined the Hanwha Eagles in 2020, is a colleague of Busan High School, and Lotte Giants pitcher Park Jin, who debuted in 2019, is a year older than elementary, middle and high school. The fellow players played for the coveted hometown team Lotte or stepped on the mound at Sajik Stadium, but Chung Hyun-soo, who was not chosen by the professional team, had to leave his hometown for a while to enter college.
Nevertheless, I have never given up on my dream. Rather, Chung Hyun-soo sweated several times more than in high school, becoming the biggest player among college pitchers, and was selected by KBO League legends to make his name known in the baseball entertainment program "The Strongest Baseball." And Lotte, which had never taken its eyes off him since he was a local player, was willing to exercise the 13th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 Rookie Draft. It was the fastest turn among 296 college players who applied for the rookie draft.
Chung Hyeon-soo was a beast. He once played as a pitcher when he was at Busan High School, but there were much more games that he played as a fielder at the time. As a pitcher, he needed time to grow. He has distinguished himself since his second year of college. He made a big leap with 10 wins and 1 loss and 3.58 ERA in 19 games last year, and recorded 4 wins and 2 losses and 2.09 ERA in 11 games this season. Chung Hyun-soo said, "I was disappointed because I didn't get the nomination four years ago, but looking back, I wasn't selected because I lacked and had a lot to fill out," adding, "So I played baseball really hard for four years."
Lotte is also proud of its growth. Chung Hyun-soo was also in the spotlight as a pitcher with a sharp slider, change-up, and elaborate control, as well as a big curve. Kwon Young-joon, head of Lotte's scout team, said, "He is a player who knows better than anyone else because he is our affiliated player," adding, "I was closer to an outfielder than a pitcher in high school, but I have grown a lot physically and skillfully compared to then." "He is a left-hander with excellent hand sense, and he has excellent control and breaking balls. Now he is a proven pitcher in college baseball, he said. "I knew he was originally a player who tried, but I can see how hard he tried in college." 스포츠토토
Chung Hyun-soo is a rookie next year, but he played with Lee Dae-ho, who retired last year, on the air. It was a great luck for him, who was a native of Busan and supported Lotte. "When I was young, I started playing baseball when I saw Lee Dae-ho at Sajik Stadium. I used to cheer for my senior while wearing an orange plastic bag, and it was amazing to play together," he said. "He is the one who taught me how to treat baseball. He always emphasized, "You have to play catch ball properly first," and "Each action is really important for a professional player." 'It's not the end of it. He also said, "After going to the pro, it's more important." He also added, "I want to step on the ground at Sajik Stadium where my senior played as soon as possible."