Kim Sung-joon (18) of Gwangju Jeil High School held a signing ceremony for the Texas Rangers in the U.S. Major League Baseball.
The Texas team announced on the 19th (Korea Standard Time) that it has recruited Korean infielder and right-hander Kim Sung-joon as an international free agent. "I will join the club after graduating from January 2026."
The exact contract size for Kim Sung-joon, who won the Star Award in baseball at the 2024 Futures Star Awards (hosted by Star News) held in November last year, and was likely to be nominated in the first round at the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft, which will be held in the second half of this year, has not been announced, but the down payment is reported to exceed $1 million (about 1.4 billion won). 바카라사이트
According to MLB.com , he is the fifth player from Gwangju Jeil High School to join the Major League after Kim Byung-hyun, Choi Hee-sup, Seo Jae-ung and Kang Jung-ho, and became the first player to join the team right after graduating from high school. He joined the team at Globe Life Field.
Hamilton Wise, a Texas international scout, said, "I have high expectations for Kim Sung-joon, a world-class talent and world-class player. While playing shortstop, he showed very impressive performances at bat, in defense, and on the mound. The club said it will focus on developing him as a "bodied pitcher and batter."
"I think Kim Sung-joon is also a necessary quality in our team. More than anything else, however, I am more pleased that he represents the value of the Texas team. Kim Sung-joon is a player with world-class standards. He also has the mental strength to positively influence our team's performance for a long time to come," he added.
Kim Seong-joon also said, "Of course, it will be tough. It will not be easy, but I will do my best. I never have any regrets. If I grow up earlier and better, I will become the best player in the Major League. That's why I decided to sign a contract with the Texas Rangers."
MLB.com said, "The baseball community sees Kim as a pitcher more suitable than a batter. He has fast balls up to 95 mph (157 kph). However, Texas wants to nurture him as a player who can double as a pitcher and batter. I believe he also has a mindset."
Wise said, "The food, the language and the coaching style will all be different. We've constantly discussed it within our club, but it's not whether a player can do both pitching and hitting, but the player's willingness to do it. We have a wealth of background knowledge of what Kim Sung-joon is like. He must be a very impressive player. I am definitely looking forward to this. It is a big challenge, but I am confident that if he adapts well to change, his talent will shine."