Kiwoom Heroes signed draft pick Jang Jae-young to a record deal for the club. They announced that the 18-year-old pitcher would receive a $775,000 signing bonus. It is the biggest rookie signing bonus given by the Heroes. Also, it is the second biggest signing bonus in the Korea Baseball Organization.
In 2006, the Kia Tigers gave Han Ki-joo a 1 billion won signing bonus. KBO doesn’t limit the signing bonus for rookies. However, rookies have a minimum annual salary of 27 million won. The Heroes picked Jang from Duksoo High School during the KBO draft last August 24. He is the son of former Heroes’ captain Jang Jung-suk, who also managed the team from 2017 to 2019.
The young Jang is one of the hardest throwers in high school. Thus, he drew scouts from various KBO clubs. According to Heroes’ scouts, Jang’s fastball has average speed of 150 kilometers per hour. He even managed to get a top speed of 157 kph. However, it was during an unofficial session.
Kiwoom Heroes Signed Draft Pick
Based on a sports forum, Jang represented the country last year in the Under-18 Baseball World Cup. Aside from the four-seam fastball, Jang also has a curve, splitter, and a slider. He said that he wished to play for the team since he was a child. He was happy to finalize the deal with the team.
According to sports betting predictions, Jang didn’t expect to sign a huge deal. He said that he would try hard to reward the team’s faith in him. Also, Jang would not throw hard all the time. Instead, he would improve on his mental game and command of the ball.
Free sports betting odds sites are optimistic about Jang’s future in the KBO. The rookie pitcher said that his primary goal is to make the KBO team, instead of spending all season in the minor league.
