SSG Landers sensed a sense of big things coming from Lee Seung-min (18-Hwimungo), the eldest son of current Samsung Lions first team coach Lee Byung-kyu (49). He is highly regarded as having the potential to follow in his father’s footsteps, as well as that of senior Lee Jung-hoo (25-Keum Heroes).
SSG selected Lee with the 20th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 KBO Rookie Draft on Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.
SSG, which received the 10th pick in the draft after winning the regular season wire-to-wire and the Korean Series last year, took a strategy that focused on bolstering its outfield over pitching in the top rounds. Lee Seung-min, who was rated as one of the top three outfield prospects in the draft, was expected to be selected as early as the second round. That’s because he hit .303 with two home runs, 28 RBIs, 21 runs scored, two doubles, a .405 on-base percentage, a .508 slugging percentage, and a .913 OPS in high school, and he was on pace to hit .328 with one home run, 16 RBIs, 11 runs scored, two doubles, and a .905 OPS in 19 games as a junior. “He has excellent strengths in hitting and has the ability to handle changeups beyond the high school level, and with his excellent physical condition, he has great expectations in the long ball department and has the potential to develop,” the SSG organization said.
“I thought Lee Seung-min would go before the second round, but he came to us just in time to be our player,” SSG head coach Kim Sung-yong told Star News after the draft. “I think he will continue the lineage of Lee Jung-hoo and Kim Min-seok (19-Lotte Giants). He is a player who understands how to hit to the center, so I think he will be a great hitter in the pros if he is positioned well.”
In an interview during the draft, Lee said, “I’m very grateful to be drafted by a good team, SSG,” and “My father was the reason I started playing baseball. Thank you for raising me like this. Even though we are in different teams, I think our hearts are always in the same place. I will try to make a good showing in the first team from next year.” He also said through the club, “I am honored to be named in such a high order and I will work harder. I have a lot of confidence in my batting and want to become a player who will leave a mark in the team’s history.”
Earlier, SSG selected Park Ji-hwan (18-AD), who played in the just concluded World Youth Cup, with the 10th pick of the first round. It was the first outfield pick of the draft. SSG said, “Park Ji-hwan is an outstanding infielder with a three-ball, three-handed approach and has a strong shoulder with good throwing ability. In addition, he has excellent contact at the plate and has been consistent throughout the year.”
“I’m happy to be the first one out of the gate and I’ll do my best to fulfill their trust in me,” said Park Ji-hwan. “I can’t believe I was picked up by a good organization like SSG sooner than I expected and I’m really happy. I am confident in my bat control and baserunning, and I want to be a player who sets an example for others by performing well and working hard after joining the team.”
The middle and lower rounds of the draft focused on players who can be utilized as an immediate powerhouse next season, but can also make the leap to the main roster in the mid- to long-term in the Cheongna Dome era. Accordingly, the emphasis was placed on selecting players from the second year of college and the early draft, valuing the physical strength, experience, power, and determination of college players.토토사이트
Starting with the third round, we completed the draft with pitcher Park Ki-ho (Cheongju), pitcher Choi Hyun-seok (Busan National University of Science and Technology), infielder Jung Jun-jae (Dongguk), outfielder Jung Hyun-seung (Inha), pitcher Park Sung-bin (Cyber Korea University), outfielder Baek Jun-seo (Deoksugo), pitcher Yoon Sung-bo (Songwon), catcher Kim Kyu-min (Yeoju), and pitcher Byun Gun-woo (Chungam).
After completing the rookie draft, SSG said, “I’m happy that we were able to nominate the players we had planned. The rookies will be the center of the team’s generation change in the medium and long term.”