Choi Jun-ho (19), a rookie in the first round of 2023 for the Doosan Bears, is a pitcher who has boasted extraordinary physicality since high school. He is a 190cm tall right-handed pitcher and throws a fast ball in the late 140km/h range. He also received attention as a high-ranking candidate for the rookie draft because of his high perfection in breaking pitches such as the slider.
As such, Choi Jun-ho was nominated by Doosan in the 9th overall in the first round. Kim Tae-ryong, general manager of Doosan, said, “I chose the gemstone by looking at the future.” In addition to his excellent physical performance, his record of 3 wins and 2 losses, an ERA of 1.50, 69 strikeouts and 11 walks in 22 high school baseball games last year also contributed to his nomination. From his expression, “I expected to be nominated in the second round, but was surprised to be called in the first round,” we could get a glimpse of the excitement ahead of his professional life. Lee Sang-gun, head coach of Bukil High School, praised him saying,토토사이트 “(Choi) Jun-ho has all the basic skills necessary for a pitcher.”
On November 20 last year, watching Jamsil Stadium filled with fans during a friendly match between ‘Monsters’ and Doosan, which consisted of former professional players of the TV entertainment program ‘Strongest Baseball’, the dream of stepping on the mound for the first team grew bigger. Choi Jun-ho said, “I was very nervous at first, but when I saw the players running at the baseball field, my expectations grew.”
Choi Jun-ho prepared diligently with the determination to succeed in the professional world. He set up a weight training plan early on to increase his 147km fastball maximum speed and increase his physical strength. Unlike his high school stage, it is because he needs to build up his strength to overcome the long-term race of the professional first team, where each team plays 144 games. He said, “I spent time doing personal exercise after the draft,” and “I am increasing my weight through weight training and doing reinforcement exercises hard.”
The thing we look forward to the most from rookies is, of course, an attitude that doesn’t make them feel intimidated. If you can show 100% of your skills in any situation, that alone is enough to get applause. Choi Jun-ho is ready for that. His strong confidence is evident in his promise, “When I get on the mound, I will show the spirit of a rookie and throw confidently without fear.”