The 2025 KBO Rookie Draft Day has finally arrived. The top spot has narrowed down to a two-way race between right-hander Jung Woo-joo (18) of 156 kilometers per hour and left-hander Jung Hyun-woo (18) of Deoksu (18) of 150 kilometers per hour. Attention is focusing on who the Kiwoom Heroes will choose as their seventh overall pick in the first round, which exchanged Korean national infielder Kim Hui-jip (22) of the NC Dinos.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) will hold the 2025 KBO Rookie Draft at the Lotte Hotel World Crystal Ballroom in Seoul at 2 p.m. on the 11th. Nominations will be made from round 1 to round 11, followed by Kiwoom-Hanwha-Samsung-Lotte-KIA-Doosan-SSG-KT-LG, which is the reverse order of the team’s ranking in 2023.
Kiwoom, which received the nomination right through the previous trade under the agreement that allowed the club to exchange the nomination right for the next year with the player, will exercise the first and third round nominations that NC had and the third round nominations that SSG Landers had, while LG will exercise the fifth round nominations that Lotte had.
As a result, if all clubs exercise all nomination rights, Kiwoom will appoint 14 players, LG 12 players, SSG and Lotte 10 players, NC 9 players, and other clubs 11 players, a total of 110 players will wear KBO league team uniforms.
This year’s rookie draft targets total 1,197 people, including 840 prospective high school graduates, 286 prospective college graduates, 56 early draft applicants, and 15 other players, including overseas flax and professionals.
Many in the baseball community say that the closer they get to the rookie draft, the more they understand Kiwoom’s choice no matter who the first round is. Considering the skills of the two players and the background surrounding them, neither Jung nor Jung had a complete advantage over each other.
Based on the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA), Jung Woo-joo, who is 185cm tall, weighs 88kg, has an advantage of throwing a fastball with a speed of well over 2,600 rpm and a maximum speed of 156km/h. The potential itself is evaluated to be a step higher than other first-round talents this year. If other players squeeze and throw a fast ball of 150km/h or higher, Jung Woo-joo easily throws it with his flexible body and elasticity. If you throw it to the bullpen, it is said that you can throw enough balls of 160km/h, which raises the possibility of finishing. Variables such as splitter, circle change-up, curve, and change-up are not bad. However, since this winter, his speed has grown rapidly and he has little experience in playing, it is evaluated that he needs to prove it a little more in terms of durability and game management.
On the other hand, Chung Hyeon-woo, who is 184 centimeters tall and weighs 87 kilograms, is highly evaluated for his completeness. Based on his ball control, he throws a fastball of up to 150 kilometers per hour, two short and long sliders, and a splitter evenly with two curves and circle change-up as his main weapons. In particular, his outstanding ability to manage the game, which led him to win the national championship since last year, when he was a second grader, can be quickly caught in the first team.
Moreover, the situation in which it is becoming increasingly difficult to find left-handed pitchers both domestically and internationally has heightened the value of Chung. While an explosive right-handed fireballer is also attractive, he is highly useful in that he can use left-handed pitchers in any form of starting or bullpen for more than 10 years. Despite the favorable assessment of left-handed pitchers this year, Chung was able to compete with Chung as he is by far the best among them.
Regardless of who Kiwoom chooses, attention is also being paid to the seventh choice, with Hanwha likely to nominate the remaining player of the two. Kiwoom lost Kim Hui-jip, who played for the national team in the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) to NC last year, and received the seventh overall pick in the first round and the 27th pick in the third round this year.
Jung Woo-ju and Jung Hyun-woo are expected to be selected from No. 1 to 2, Bae Chan-seung (18), left-hander of Daegu High School, Kim Tae-hyun (19), and Kim Tae-hyung (18), who is right-hander of Deoksu High School, are expected to be selected from No. 3 to No. 5, and Park Joon-soon (18, Deoksu High School), the biggest fish for fielders, is expected to shake the game in the middle and second half of the first round. If Park Joon-soon comes down to Kiwoom’s order, it is not easy to skip the field due to the nature of this year, which is not good for fielders. 안전놀이터
On top of that, pitchers as attractive as Park Joon-soon are waiting, so Kiwoom is likely to nominate another pitcher.
The most representative is right-hander Kim Seo-joon (18), who is 190 centimeters tall and weighs 86 kilograms. In fact, Kim Seo-joon used to throw 141 to 142 kilometers per hour in March this year. However, as he was evaluated as having the best slider among rookies this year, and his curveball and splitter were above average, he was highly likely to be nominated in the second round.
However, as he exceeded 150 kilometers per hour this summer, his reputation soared. “Kim Seo-joon had never thrown more than 146 kilometers per hour until early this year, but when it was hot, he exceeded 150 kilometers per hour. It is confusing whether he burst his potential or shine. He can also be a starting pitcher. If he burst the ball late, I think it is the second most stable choice after Kim Tae-hyung among right-handers.” Of course, some say he is anxious about his control and stability as he has rapidly grown. Still, even scouts who were skeptical considered him highly likely to be a lower-ranked player in the first round.
Bibongo left-hander Park Jung-hoon (18) is likely to choose if Kiwoom chooses right-hander Jung Woo-joo as No. 1 overall. His strength is a fastball with a maximum speed of 154 kilometers per hour from his heavy physique of 192 centimeters and weight of 100 kilograms. Although his control is unstable due to his wild pitching form, the change-up he puts on the right-handed batter’s body is also attractive as it is excellent in check movements.
Another KBO club scout, B, said, “Park Jung-hoon is a dark horse in this year’s rookie draft. He has excellent athletic ability, including physical conditions. Until last year, he threw a ball of early 140km/h, but his strength gained and his skills improved really well in the winter. It seems like he threw all-out at 154km/h, but he still threw more than 150km. He throws well against right-handed hitters and has such a good sense that he is highly likely to be nominated in the first round.”
Finally, Seoul High School right-hander Kim Young-woo (19), who is 187cm tall and weighs 88kg, is considered a first-round feeling with just his fastball pitching. He returned from elbow ligament joint surgery (Tommy John Surgery) and threw a fastball up to 156km/h, drawing attention. He is a player who is expected to succeed as a bullpen as his fastball vertical movement ranks in the top five this year along with Jung Woo-joo, Kim Tae-hyun, and Bae Chan-seung. KBO club scout A once said, “The lower-ranked teams in the first round will agonize a lot between Kim Seo-joon, Kim Young-woo and Park Jung-hoon.”
