Two-way prospect Ha Hyun-seung (18, Busan High School), who is widely expected to be selected with the number one overall pick in the 2027 professional baseball rookie draft to be held on the 21st, shared his aspirations, saying, "I want to debut in the pros, polish my skills until I earn posting eligibility, and go to the United States with a really great contract to truly enjoy playing baseball."

Participating with the national team at the U-18 Asian Baseball Championship held in Taipei, Taiwan, Ha shared his thoughts on playing as a national team member in what will be his final amateur tournament through the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) on the 6th.

This year, Ha caught the attention of Major League Baseball (MLB) as his skills as both a pitcher and a hitter improved simultaneously.

He has been selected for the national team as a pitcher this time.

Although the New York Yankees offered him a contract worth approximately 3 million dollars, Ha ultimately decided to play in the KBO League first and challenge MLB later.

Ha introduced himself, saying, "Even when I pitch comfortably now, it hits 150 km/h, and my top speed has reached 153 km/h."

Regarding his fierce batting performance with a batting average of 0.383 this season, he said, "Last year, I had almost no ambition as a hitter, but this year my strength has improved, and even light contact sends the ball pretty far."

He continued to nurture his dream of a two-way role in the pros, stating, "I want to do well at both, but it's not an easy thing, so it's hard to say I'm confident. Still, I want to try as hard as I can. Once I join the pros, it's right to talk with the team, and if they let me, I plan to give it a try."

Explaining why he chose to stay in Korea, Ha said, "I wanted to play baseball while receiving a lot of love from Korean fans. That's all I looked at, so (despite repeated offers from the U.S.) I wasn't shaken at all and had almost no hesitation. I probably would have applied for the KBO draft first anyway."

He added, "Going to another country is not an easy thing, and Eom Jun-sang (Duksu High School) and Nam Hyun-woo (Seoul Convention High School), who came with me to the national team, have already made such a big choice, and I think that's really cool."

Infielder Eom Jun-sang signed with the MLB Arizona Diamondbacks for a signing bonus of 1.5 million dollars.

Shortstop Nam Hyun-woo agreed to terms with the Detroit Tigers.

Saying that he has prepared diligently for this tournament with a sense of responsibility, Ha smiled and said, "Ahead of our most important game against Taiwan on the 7th, if we just play the way we did in practice games, I think we can beat any team. After the tournament ends, I really need to practice my KBO draft selection speech a bit. I want to memorize it coolly and do well. I need to memorize it more perfectly so my mind doesn't go blank on stage."

Led by manager Jung Yoon-jin, the master tactician who led Duksu High School to the pinnacle of high school baseball, the South Korean national team will clash with seven countries from the 7th to the 13th to challenge for the championship.

South Korea will play its Group B preliminary matches against Taiwan, Singapore (on the 8th), and Thailand (on the 9th), followed by the Super Round against countries from Group A.

(Photo provided by the Korea Baseball Softball Association, Yonhap News)