Recently, the winter league of high school baseball is in full swing.
In the winter league held in each region, they prepare for the season by combining field training and technical training. In particular, the 2023 season starts the fastest ever. The regular season begins on March 18th. Therefore, each school has no choice but to raise their senses by playing as many games as possible in the month of February.
Winter leagues are held in each region, but many good teams also participated in Gangneung, which is equipped with the best practice facilities. Chungam High School, Gyeonggi Aviation High School, Baemyeong High School, and Gangneung High School are typical examples. In addition, Cheongwon High School, Guriin Warehouse, and Seorak High School are also joining in for inspection. Professional club scouting officials also gathered in Gangneung. On this day, many professional clubs such as Doosan, Hanwha, Kia, and Lotte dispatched scout officials to Gangneung. This means that the selection process for this year’s rookie draft will slowly begin.
First of all, Gangneung High School, which hosts the winter league, is a strong contender this season as well. However, the current atmosphere is not so good. This is because the ace, Yuk Cheong-myeong (junior), was out of the team at the beginning of the season due to an injury. He underwent surgery to shave off the overgrown bone. Gangneung High School coach Choi Jae-ho said, “We are not going to overdo it. I think maybe it will be around May before I can catch the ball.” Yuk Cheong-myeong is a super high school level pitcher who is likely to be nominated for a higher rank this season. In addition, another pro-nomination candidate Cho Dae-hyeon (junior) is expected to need some time due to side stiffness.
At Chungam High School, most of the main pitchers are currently taking a break. Only Byeon Geon-woo (3rd grade) is throwing the ball, and Park Geon-woo is currently adjusting the pace. But the fielders are still playing the whole game. Many scouting officials keep an eye on Chungam High School’s strength.
Overall, there is a lack of beasts this year, because there are many good beasts in Chungam. There are several beasts, but the most notable players are Park Chae-wool (3rd year) and Lee Seon-woo (2nd year). Park Chae-wool is regarded as the best outfielder in the Seoul area because he is capable of center field, has quick feet and good contact skills. Lee Seon-woo has emerged as a candidate for the top-ranked pro nomination for next season with his outstanding batting skills. Chungam High School is expected to receive a lot of attention because there is a lack of fielders overall this season.
Gyeonggi Aviation High School, a newly rising powerhouse in the Gyeonggi region, is also a subject of interest from officials. This is because there are good infielders in the third grade. This is Park Jung-hyun (18). As a transfer player from Gyeonggi High School, he has quick feet and soft defense. If you look at his defense and his feet, he boasts the best in the field. He also has the advantage that he rides a Utu sheep. He is even more so because he is also taller than 180 cm. In addition, there are sophomore special pitchers such as Seong Jun-seo and Son Ah-in (sophomore) who can easily enter the pro next year, so professional teams are more interested. 메이저놀이터
There are many good players at Baemyeong High School, which chooses Gangneung as a training ground every year. Representative players are Song Hee-soo and Kim Yun (junior). Third baseman Kim Yoon is a left-handed infielder with excellent hitting. However, he is still a case that has not received much attention due to his weak defense. However, because of his good physique and excellent batting ability, he has attracted attention from professional clubs. Song Hee-soo is an outfielder and center fielder reminiscent of Jung Joon-yeong (Jangchunggo-KT Wiz). Although he is not tall, he is a wheezing and outfielder who boasts good contact ability and quick feet.
An official from the metropolitan area club who was watching the Gangneung League said, “The speed of the players is not yet an important point. This is because it is cold now, so the players are at a point where they are saving themselves and preparing for the season after March. Rather than now, it is more important how far the limit comes out when the blade is released, and how far it is maintained. The fielders are not yet at the point where the pace has increased a lot. We are just starting to observe,” he said.
Gangneung has recently been in the limelight as a spring camp for Ama Baseball. This is because there is Gangneung High School, which has a grass field, and Namdaecheon Baseball Field. In addition, Gangneung High School’s top-of-the-line high school practice field was completed last year, allowing many high school baseball teams to conduct night training smoothly. Currently, each team takes turns training at night under the understanding of Gangneung High School.
Director Choi Jae-ho said, “If many teams come here to eat and exercise, the local economy will revive. I hope that Gangneung will become the Mecca of Jeon Hoon-ji of Ama Baseball.”