Ha Hyun-seung's 12 Strikeouts Ignite Kiwoom Hopes

[OSEN=Cho Eun-hye Reporter] Ha Hyun-seung, the 'Busan High School Ohtani' considered a strong candidate for the first overall pick in the 2027 KBO Draft, demonstrated his presence from the first game of the Asian Junior Baseball Championship. Ha Hyun-seung, pitching as the starter in the opening round against Taiwan at the 14th Asian Junior Baseball Championship held on September 7 at Tianmu Baseball Stadium in Taipei, recorded 5⅔ innings, 2 hits allowed, 12 strikeouts, and no runs. Ha struck out leadoff batter Cho Kuan-lui with a swinging strikeout, then caught Liu Huan-yi, the second batter, with another swinging strikeout. Although he allowed a triple to Zhang Yi-an, he retired the side with a groundout after receiving help from shortstop Eom Jun-sang's defensive play following a full-count battle with Huang Shiyao. In the second inning, Ha struck out Chiou Cheng-yuan with a swinging strikeout, then turned around Chen Bo-kai with a flyout to left field. He also induced Pasura Tagisrinan to swing and miss at a 2-2 count, ending the inning with a strikeout. The third inning was clean: a called strikeout against Chuan Yong-le, a swinging strikeout against Chen Yao-je, and a flyout to left field by Cho Kuan-lui. In the fourth inning, Ha walked Liu Huan-yi, the leadoff batter, but struck out Zhang Yi-an, who had hit the first extra-base hit, with a swinging strikeout. After catcher Won Ji-woo thwarted a stolen base attempt, Ha struck out Huang Shiyao, the fourth batter, with a swinging strikeout to end the inning. In the fifth inning, Ha struck out Chiou Cheng-yuan on three pitches, followed by a swinging strikeout against Chen Bo-kai and a flyout to right field by Pasura Tagisrinan, comfortably closing the inning. With South Korea leading 2-0 in the sixth inning, Ha struck out Chuan Yong-le with a called strikeout, then retired Chen Yao-je with a looking strikeout before allowing a hit to Cho Kuan-lui. After throwing 90 pitches, he handed the mound to Eom Jun-sang. Ha, who has drawn attention not only domestically but also from overseas teams like the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball, has already chosen to stay in South Korea and will participate in the 2027 draft. With Eom Jun-sang having finalized his contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Ha, regarded as the top high school prospect, is likely to wear the Kiwoom Heroes uniform, as the team secured the first overall pick in the 2027 KBO Draft after finishing last year. Ha, who proved his value once again with a strong performance against a tough opponent, Taiwan, has ignited high expectations among Kiwoom fans with his impressive display on the international stage. /thecatch@osen.co.kr