– Shinsegae E-Mart Cup opens on the 23rd for the first national high school baseball tournament
– KBO scout survey… Voting for 5 candidates for successor
– All 10 clubs selected Jangchung High School… Yushin Huimun 6 votes
Deoksu, Jeonju, Gyeonggisang, Seoul, Chungam, Baejae
Dark Horse The ‘2023 Shinsegae E-Mart Cup National High School Baseball Tournament’, in which all high school teams across the country participate, will start a fierce battle from the 23rd with 93 teams participating, the largest number ever this year.
As the Shinsegae E-Mart Cup is the first national tournament this season, it is an important opportunity to check the overall game of high school baseball this year and noteworthy players in advance. So, prior to the tournament, a survey was conducted with scouts of 10 KBO clubs who are watching the high school baseball scene most objectively.
[E-Mart Bae SPO Power Ranking] is published twice as ① the winning candidate and ② the best prospect. First of all, he is the strongest candidate for the championship evaluated by scouts from 10 clubs.
◆Jangchung High School, “the strongest candidate for the championship” One voice said,
“Jangchung High School can have a starting rotation”, “It overwhelms other teams in terms of pitching quality and quantity.”
As a result of scouts from the 10 KBO clubs selecting 5 teams each that they thought were the strongest contenders for the championship, Jangchung High School received 10 votes. This means that out of the 10 clubs, one team selected Jangchung High School as a candidate for the championship without exception. It is evaluated that it has built the most powerful and stable force that everyone acknowledges.
The scouting team leader of the Seoul team A and the regional team B predicted that Jangchunggo’s chances of winning were high, saying, “They have the most powerful pitching power ever.”
It has the best lineup, including left-handers, right-handers, and submarines. Hwang Jun-seo, who is regarded as the best left-handed pitcher in high school, and right-hander Yuk Seon-yeop, who is 190 cm tall and boasts a powerful pitch in the late 140 km/h, are also considered candidates for the first round of the rookie draft. In addition, right-hander Kim Yun-ha, nephew of ‘Korean Express’ Park Chan-ho and son of pro golfer Park Hyun-soon, 194cm tall left-hander Jo Dong-wook, and sidearm duo Won Jong-hae and Kim Moo-bin are key resources that make Jangchung High’s mound praised as ‘the best ever’.
Since it is a tournament where 93 teams participate and must play a maximum of 7 games to reach the final, a team like Jangchung-go with a thick pitching base can come closer to winning than a team that relies on one or two aces. However, the head of the scouting team for the Seoul C team explained the variable, “We have the best amateur pitching staff, but batting ability is the key.”
When Jangchunggo coach Song Min-soo heard the news, he said, “I am grateful for everyone’s high evaluation of our team, but I also feel burdened.”
◆ ‘Traditional Prestige’ Gyeongbuk High School and Busan High School “The Right Time to Win”
After Jangchung High School, the teams that were chosen the most by scouts were Gyeongbuk High School and Busan High School, the ‘traditional prestige schools’ in the Yeongnam region. Gyeongbuk High School got 8 votes and Busan High School got 7 votes.
Gyeongbuk High School (director Lee Jun-ho) aims to win the national championship after a long time with Jeon Mir, who can be called ‘Ohtani of high school baseball’. Mir Jeon is the best player in the high school stage this year. The head of the scouting team for the regional team D said, “Gyeongbuk High School looks like Jeon Mir’s team, but it has a stable and solid track record in air and defense,” and predicted a high chance for Gyeongbuk High School to win.
A scout for the local team E said, “Including Ace Jeon Mir, Lee Seung-heon and Kim Joon-won are pitchers with a high degree of perfection and boast a solid mound.” “Lim Jong-seong, Lee Seung-hyun, Kim Se-hoon and Jeon Mir lead to excellent attack power in the center of the batting line,” and picked them as strong candidates for the championship. Gyeongbuk High School is on the rise with confidence after winning the championship at the recent National High School Baseball Championship held in Gijang. The last time they won the national championship was in 2015, when Choi Choong-yeon (Samsung) and Park Se-jin (kt) were active.Busan High School (director Park Gye-won) won the last tournament last year, Bonghwangdaegi, and fired a signal of ‘revival of the famous family’. The mound’s key three musketeers, Won Sang-hyun, Seong Young-tak, and Ye Geon-woo, who led the championship as a sophomore at the time, are still alive and are classified as a team close to winning the championship. It also has the destructive power of other lines led by Lee Chan-woo, Yeonjun-won and Park Seong-joon. “The pitching staff has a lot of experience, so they have a stable and evenly balanced batting line,” said the head of the scouting team for the local club E. However, it is regrettable that Park Chan-yeop, the core of the defense, who performed outstandingly as a freshman shortstop last year, will not be able to participate in this tournament due to a shoulder injury.
◆ Yushin Whimoon Deoksu Jeonju “The Chase”
Yushingo and Whimungo received 6 votes each and are considered strong candidates to challenge for the championship. Yu Shin-go drew attention by leading the team to victory in the Blue Dragon Flag competition that Hong Seok-moo participated in last year as soon as he took over the baton. Junior aces Lee Ki-chang and Park Jun-woo lead the mound with sophomore Choi Chan-woo. Park Tae-wan, who served as shortstop for the youth national team as a sophomore last year, is in charge of the center line. ‘Quick baseball’ and스포츠토토 ‘organizational baseball’ are strengths.
Whimoon High School (Director: Oh Tae-geun) is blessed with right-handed orthodox ace Kim Hwi-gun, who transferred from Bukil High School. He is evaluated as a top prospect in the high school rankings this season due to his heavy pitching. Third-year right-hander Kim Jong-woo and sophomore left-hander Mo Ju-wan are the core forces to lead the mound. Lee Seung-min, the son of Lee Byung-gyu, the “Red Horse”, and Ahn Woo-jin, a shortstop, and Jeong An-seok, a second baseman, lead the defensive and offensive line. A scout for the F club in the metropolitan area predicted, “Whimungo won the long-term Seoul Spring Baseball Championship at the recently closed Athletes’ Village Hospital, and the good momentum will continue to this E-Mart Cup.”
Deoksoo High School (director Jeong Yun-jin) and Jeon Ju-go (director Joo Chang-hoon) are also teams that are not lacking even if they win. I got 4 votes each. Deoksu High School, which challenges the championship every year, is the mound’s key resource this year, with junior Kim Seung-joon Lee Jong-ho and sophomore left-hander Ace Jeong Hyun-woo. Scouts who picked Deoksu High School as a candidate for the championship unanimously evaluated that “its unique organization and stable defense are its strengths” and “both offense and defense are well organized.”
Jeonju High School is expecting Hong Joo-hwan’s left-handed one-two punch along with Son Hyun-ki, who is also paying attention to major league scouts. The table setter with a good focus, Seo Young-Jun and Lee Han-Lim’s destructive batting line, and defensive organization are solid.
On the other hand, Gyeonggi Sanggo received two votes, so it is worth paying attention to this competition. The head of the scouting team for the regional B club noted that “the team has good pitching power and the players’ fighting spirit is strong.” Seoul High School, Chungam High School, and Bae Jae High School each received one vote, and it is an interesting point to watch to see how far these teams will go.
Meanwhile, SPOTV plans to broadcast live all matches from the quarterfinals to the finals.