The Samsung Lions have made a bold move for the future.
The team has decided to send its top two immediate two-hitting prospects, Kim Sung-kyung (25) and Lee Chang-yong (25), to the MLB Draft League.
Samsung will send a team to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in Niles, Ohio, USA, on July 15 to develop its prospects. This draft is part of the level-up project to strengthen the competitiveness of Korean baseball, which was announced by the KBO last year, and will be the first time Samsung will participate in the KBO League. The two players, who will be accompanied by two trainers, will play a total of 45 games between July 15 and September 6.
The MLB Draft League was launched in 2021 to help amateur players improve their skills and discover talent, and is now in its fourth year.
Six teams will participate, playing 80 games per team. Teams are comprised of draft-eligible high school and college seniors in the first half of the season, and undrafted players and independent league players in the second half. The Single-A level has produced 133 major leaguers in the past three years.
Kim Sung-kyung, a right-handed pitcher from Gwangju’s Dongseong High School-Songwon University, was selected with the 44th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 rookie draft.
He has a unique resume that includes a brief hiatus from baseball due to injury, playing social baseball, attending college, and entering the professional ranks as an early draft pick.
After high school, he served in the military.
His fastball, which topped out at 154 mph and averaged in the low 140s, caught the attention of the Futures League. This season, he’s been working out of the bullpen, going 4-4 with a 3.00 ERA in 21 games. While his 28 strikeouts in 21 innings stood out, his 16 walks were a factor in his hesitation to be called up to the first team. Since June, however, 메이저사이트 he has improved with 17 strikeouts and five walks in 10 innings in 10 games. He’s a future Samsung pitcher.
“I think it will be a good experience. I want to learn how to throw my pitches confidently, and I will grow and come back to be the kind of player who can step up when the team needs me and fulfill my duties perfectly.”
Chang-Yong Lee is a right-handed infielder who was selected with the 73rd overall pick in the eighth round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft.
He is a future No. 4 hitter with one-hit power. He has stepped up his game since leaving the military last year and leads the Futures League in home runs. In 46 games with the Futures, he went 3-4 with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs for a .949 OPS. In five games with the first team, he batted .154.
“I heard that this is the most advanced league overseas. Based on this experience, I will learn a lot to become the hitter the team wants,” said Lee.
Samsung is a favorite to make it to fall baseball this season.
They need a boost in the final stretch of the season to make a last-ditch push.
Unlike Lee Chang-yong, who was already registered with the first team in June and transitioned to the official roster, Kim Sung-kyung and Lee Chang-yong, who is still a developmental player without a first-team registration, will not be eligible for the postseason unless they are registered by July 31st.
Samsung chose to look beyond the immediate use of the players and focus on their growth on a broader stage. Samsung’s far-sighted choice will pay off.
It’s a first for Korean professional baseball, and the other nine teams will be watching with great interest.