Fireballer’ Shim Jun-seok (19), wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform, showed his will to challenge the major leagues.
On the 27th (Korean time), Shim Jun-seok officially became a Pittsburgh player after signing the contract at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Shim Jun-seok signed a contract with Pittsburgh on the 16th. His down payment was known to be $750,000, but no announcement was made on that day.
Local media such as ‘MLB.com’ and ‘Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’ also covered the news of Shim’s contract with great importance. Shim Jun-seok, who toured the stadium by stepping on the mound at PNC Park, said, “I went through a lot before coming here, and I have always dreamed of this moment. We still have a long way to go, but we are very excited. I want to come to the major leagues soon and throw the ball. The tour here today motivates me.” 먹튀검증
MLB.com said, ‘Sim Jun-seok, who is ranked 10th in the pipeline international prospect this year, could have easily chosen to stay in Korea. Had he stayed in Korea, he would have been one of the top picks in the KBO draft, if not the 1st overall pick. But Shim Joon-seok’s ambition was in America.” Shim Jun-seok said, “It was my dream to play in the United States. I wanted to come here and pursue my dream of playing baseball,” he said. “In Pittsburgh, scouts came to Korea to see me and gave me a detailed presentation. That’s one of the main reasons I chose Pittsburgh.”
In his freshman year at Deoksu High School, Shim Jun-seok announced the birth of a great prospect by throwing a fastball with a speed of up to 153 km. From this point on, he was on Pittsburgh’s radar. It all started when a Pacific Rim scout in Pittsburgh, Puchan-Chiang, accidentally saw a video of Shim Jun-seok pitching on YouTube. For the next two years, Pittsburgh checked almost all appearances of Shim Jun-seok and decided to scout him.
In the aftermath of an elbow injury in the second grade and a big toe injury in the third grade, he showed extreme difficulty in throwing a ball, but proved his pitch by throwing a fastball of up to 157 km. He was confident about Shim Jun-seok’s physical condition as well. His injured elbow and big toe were also unremarkable on the Pittsburgh physical.
MLB.com said, ‘Jun-Seok Shim, 18, who identified Gerrit Cole (New York Yankees) as his role model, can throw up to 100 miles (about 161 km) with an average four-seam fastball of 94 to 96 miles (about 151 to 154 km). Junior Vizcaino, Pittsburgh’s international scouting director, said that Sim Jun-seok’s fastball caused the illusion that it was floating because of its rotation and speed. Director Vizcaino said, “I was deeply impressed with Shim Jun-seok’s talent and composure. It was really impressive how he overcame the situation by challenging the batter with the bases loaded during the tournament game,” he recalled.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said, ‘As a child, Jun-seok Shim idolized Cole. He said he would not be as emotional on the mound as Cole, but he expected ‘it makes sense considering his mature physique and power at 6 ft 4 in 215 lbs (193 cm; 98 kg).
Cole, who was nominated by Pittsburgh with the first overall pick in the first round of the 2011 draft, is a 193 cm, 99 kg fireballer who throws a 100 mph fastball. After making his debut in 2013, he played an active role in Pittsburgh for five years until 2017, and after passing through the Houston Astros, he became a free agent in December 2019 and signed the highest contract ever for a pitcher with the Yankees for 9 years and $324 million. He went 130-71 with a 3.23 earned run average and 1930 strikeouts in 267 career games (1650 innings) in 10 seasons, and was selected as an All-Star five times. He led the league in wins and earned run average once, and took the strikeout title twice.
Meanwhile, Shim Jun-seok trains at a camp in the Dominican Republic where promising players gather for the time being. Afterwards, he will move to Bradenton, Florida, USA, and join the Florida Complex League (FCL) team, a minor league rookie league.