“I will become a player who works at least half as hard as my respected Choi Dong-won.” Gyeongbuk High School’s Jeon Mir, wearing the Lotte Giants uniform as the 3rd overall pick in the rookie draft, expressed his thoughts on being nominated in a trembling voice.
Even for Jeon Mir, who throws a 150km fastball on the mound and hits a hot home run at the plate, the rookie draft scene seems to have been nervous.
The 2024 KBO rookie draft was held at the Grand Ballroom of the Westin Chosun Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul on the 14th. Lotte general manager Seong Min-gyu, who had the third overall pick, nominated pitcher and hitter Jeon Mir of Gyeongbuk High School.
It was the moment when Gyeongbuk High School’s Jeon Mir, the No. 4 hitter with a fastball with a top speed of 151 km and long hitting power, was embraced by the Lotte Giants.
Jeon Mir of Gyeongbuk High School, who is 188cm and 95kg tall and has a solid physique, is a pitcher who throws a fastball with a top speed of 151km and is the fourth hitter who hits a home run. He has a soft pitching form and good stamina, so he showed no physical decline even when he served as both a pitcher and a batsman. In particular, his strong stamina, which allowed him to cover 150 km even when the number of pitches was different from 100, was highly praised by field scouts.
Beginning his junior year, Jeon Mir exploded with his potential. This season, he was called Jeon Tani (Jeon Mir + Ohtani), and Jeon Mir received a lot of attention even before the draft.
As a batter this season, he appeared in 27 games and recorded a batting average of 0.346, 28 hits in 81 at-bats, 3 home runs, 32 RBIs, 22 runs, and an OPS of 1.032. As a pitcher, he appeared in 14 games and recorded 67.2 innings, 5 wins, 1 loss, an earned run average (ERA) of 1.32, and WHIP (on-base percentage allowed per inning) of 0.85. Jeon Mir, whom I met during the Blue Dragon Tournament, pitched as many innings as possible for the team, up to the limit, and then played until the end of the game as first baseman or designated hitter.
Gyeongbuk High School’s Jeon Mir, who perfectly played the roles of ace pitcher and fourth hitter, led the team to its first win in 30 years at the Blue Dragon Cup held last July and received the Most Valuable Player Award.안전놀이터
Gyeongbuk High School’s Jeon Mir was selected as the 3rd overall player and wore the Lotte Giants uniform after showing outstanding performance in both pitches.
General Manager Seong Min-gyu, who came on stage, said about the reason for the nomination, “Jeon Mir, as everyone knows, is a player with excellent athletic ability to handle all two-hits, so I did not hesitate to be the first nominee. The outstanding competitive spirit he showed on the pitch and his unwillingness to lose in the game “I gave them high marks for their competitive spirit,” he said.
Jeon Mir, wearing a Lotte Giants uniform and holding a microphone, expressed his feelings, saying, “First of all, I am honored that the Lotte Giants, where senior Choi Dong-won, whom I respect, chose me,” said Jeon Mir.
When asked about his ultimate goal as a professional, he expressed his aspirations in a trembling voice, saying, “I will not be as hard as senior Choi Dong-won, but I will become a player who works at least half as hard as senior Choi Dong-won.”
To his family who visited the field, he expressed his gratitude to his parents, saying, “It wasn’t always easy playing baseball, but I’m really grateful for believing in me and raising me well.”
When asked if he would like to double-hit as a pitcher when he goes pro, he said, “If I get the chance, I want to do both. I am confident that I will do my best wherever I go. (in a trembling voice) I am confident,” and then returned to his seat.
When Jeon Mir, wearing a Lotte uniform, returned to his seat, Hanwha’s Hwang Jun-seo and Doosan’s Kim Taek-yeon, who were previously nominated, welcomed his friend.
