Dodgers News: Korean Signing Hyun-Suk Jang Didn’t Think He’d Be Able to Sign with LA
It has been an exciting season for the Dodgers both on and off the field of late. On-field the team has started to surge and is currently riding a 10-game winning streak.
Off the field, they recently signed one of the top international pitchers to a contract and they couldn’t be more excited. LA inked a deal with Korean pitcher Hyun-Suk Jang, and he becomes the next in line to potentially be a Dodgers star pitcher.
Jang is a 19-year-old prospect that was supposed to be the first overall pick in the KBO Draft, but he decided to take his talents to the United States. This allowed LA to snag him for $900,000, giving him the opportunity of his dreams.
Jang spoke about his excitement to be a member of the Dodgers recently, in part due to their history with international players. However, he did let it slip that he never thought he could join LA.
"It's an honor to be able to put on the Dodgers uniform," Jang said at his introductory press conference. "I knew they were interested in me but I didn't think I'd end up signing with this team."
LA is excited to have him a part of their organization. He is a very talented player with tremendous upside in his skill set.
During his career in high school, Jang held an ERA of 1.85 and struck out 102 batters in 68 ⅓ innings. It was quite an impressive performance and helped make him a top player on the international market.
Jang spoke more about his desire to pitch in the United States during his introductory press conference.
"I could have played some pro ball in Korea before heading over, but my ultimate goal has always been to play in the majors," Jang said. "I've long been interested in pitch design and other analytics. I decided it'd be better for me to learn about them in the U.S. than in Korea because they have better systems and facilities over there."
He will likely not see time in the big leagues anytime soon, but it will be exciting to watch his growth in the Dodgers organization. They have a knack for finding players like Jang and turning them into star-level talent.
The entire LA organization is ecstatic to have him be a member of the Dodgers, and fans can’t wait to see him pitch soon.
