The Pittsburgh Pirates have been decided as the destination for right-handed pitcher Shim Jun-seok (19), who is about to challenge the US major league. 

On the 16th (hereafter Korean time), the Pittsburgh club announced the agreement with Shim Jun-seok on an international amateur player contract. No specific signing amount was disclosed, but later this month he will travel to Pittsburgh to finalize his contract. 

Shim Jun-seok, a graduate of Deoksu High School, decided to go to the United States without applying for the KBO rookie draft last year. I was constantly connected with Pittsburgh, which sent a high-ranking official to Korea, and a contract agreement was reached as expected. 

Right-handed pitcher Shim Jun-seok, who is 194 cm tall and weighs 103 kg, has been attracting attention as a monster prospect since he was a freshman at Deoksu High School with a fastball of up to 153 km. In his sophomore and junior years, his elbow, back, and toe injuries hampered his grades, but his potential was never questioned. He was sluggish last year with an average ERA of 5.14 with 2 wins and 2 losses in 12 high school baseball games, but he struck out 40 in 20⅔ innings. He had 35 pitches, but he showed infinite potential with his fastball of 157 km. 

The American ‘The Athletic’ said, ‘Shim Jun-seok has two excellent balls, a fastball that can reach 95 miles (152.9 km) and a curve that falls from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock. The slider and changeup, which are still developing, are also promising,” he said. “Pittsburgh observed Shim Jun-seok when he was healthy, and he was impressed with his athleticism and smooth, easy-going arm movement.” 바카라

Junior Vizcaino Pittsburgh International Scout Director said, “Jun-Seok Shim is one of the best prospects internationally. He plays baseball with his God-given ability,” he said. His ball rises slightly. He has so much backspin and velocity that he makes the ball feel like it’s floating up rather than falling.” 

Shim Jun-seok’s down payment, which is attracting attention, has not been disclosed. He cannot spend unlimited money like in the past. Since 2017, each team has set a limit on the international bonus pool, and Pittsburgh is relatively comfortable at $5,825,500, so a considerable amount is expected. 

Meanwhile, major league international amateur contracts target amateur players between the ages of 16 and 25 around the world, excluding the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Contracts are available from January 15th to December 15th, US time. 

Ethan Salas, the Venezuelan catcher ranked number one in international prospect rankings by MLB.com, signed a contract with the San Diego Padres for $5.6 million. Second-place Dominican Republic shortstop Peline Celesten signed with the Seattle Mariners for $4.7 million.