“I can do everything you ask me to do.” Wearing a KIA Tigers jersey, Gangneung High’s Dae-hyun Cho trembles as he reveals his ambitions.

President Shim Jae-hak warmly hugged Gangneung High School’s Dae-hyun Cho, who was nominated to become the KIA Tigers’ most-winning right-handed pitcher.

The 2024 KBO Rookie Draft was held at the Grand Ballroom of the Westin Chosun Hotel in Sogong, Seoul on April 14. With the sixth overall pick, KIA President Shim Jae-hak selected Cho Dae-hyun, a right-handed pitcher who throws 151 kilometers.

Unleashing the potential he’s possessed since his junior year, Cho was an ace in the first tournament of the season, the Shinsegae E-Mart Distribution National High School Baseball Tournament, where he earned a runner-up finish.바카라사이트

Against Jang Chung-go in the semifinals, Cho went 5-for-4 at the plate and tossed a five-inning, seven-hit, two-run shutout to earn the win. Aside from the two unearned runs, Cho did not allow a run during the tournament.

After throwing 82 pitches in the semifinals, Dae-hyun was limited to only batting in the elimination game and the final due to pitch count restrictions. Despite finishing as the runner-up, Cho impressed scouts with his performance at the plate, earning the tournament’s Most Improved Player award.

Dae-hyun Cho is a right-handed pitcher with a sturdy build at 193 cm and 90 kg. His fastball looks like it’s coming down from a great height, which makes it more powerful for hitters. He has a two-pitch arsenal, a fastball that tops out at 151 mph and a slider, but those two pitches are enough to overwhelm hitters.

As a pitcher this season, he went 7-0 with a 1.29 ERA in 18 games and 62.2 innings, with 28 walks and 76 strikeouts, and as a hitter, he batted .288 with 73 hits, 21 doubles, 12 RBIs and 13 runs scored in 21 games. Jo Dae-hyun of Gangneung High School was also known as Jo Tani and Jeon Tani as he batted alongside Jeon Mir of Gyeongbuk High School.

‘I will raise him with the heart of a parent,’ says Shim Jae-hak, who warmly embraced Gangneung’s Cho Dae-hyun
“Once I put the uniform on him and touched his body, I was satisfied that he was in much better shape than I thought. The reason for choosing Cho Dae-hyun is that just as Yang Hyun-jong, who joined the team in 2007, is on his way to becoming a legend by winning the most KBO starts, we expect him to maximize his strengths as the future of KIA and become the most winning right-handed pitcher in the KBO,” he said.

Before leaving the stage, Shim said, “I will raise him with the heart of a parent, thank you for sending him,” and bowed towards the direction where Cho’s parents were sitting.

After being handed the microphone, Cho Dae-hyun said, “I’m really happy and thank you for believing in me. I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to my parents and Gangneung Go coach Choi Jae-ho,” he said with a shaky voice.

When asked about his role model, he said, “I look up to all the seniors in the KIA Tigers, but I learned a lot from Jung Hae-young.” After choosing closer Jung Hae-young as his role model, the moderator asked him if he had aspirations to be a bullpen or closer, and he said, “I can do everything you ask me to do.” He expressed his ambition.

At the commemorative photo after the draft, a relaxed Kia Dae-hyun held the hand of Samsung’s Yuk Sun-yeop and smiled brightly. The two had been together in Jangchungo during their freshman year. The two were separated when Cho Dae-hyun transferred to Gangneung High School after his freshman year, but they shared the honor of being selected in the first round of the 2024 rookie draft.