Dreaming of becoming a kt new assault leader… “I have to learn a lot”
“We have to learn a lot.”
Jung Joon-young (19), a rookie outfielder for kt Wiz, dreams of becoming the team’s new charge leader.
Jung Joon-young finished the schedule of the demonstration game with the NC Dinos match of the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League Demonstration Match’ held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 28th. In the first year of his debut, he ran vigorously without a break from the 1st team spring camp to the exhibition game. 안전놀이터
Jung Joon-young wore a kt uniform with the 20th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2023 KBO League Rookie Draft. Since his high school days, he has attracted the attention of many scouts for his outstanding hitting, defense, and baserunning abilities. KT is trying to find a new face in the field team, and Jung Joon-young is one of these candidates, and the team is highly anticipated.
Exhibition games Jung Joon-yeong participated in all 14 exhibition games played by the team and seized many opportunities. However, he failed to capitalize on that opportunity. With a batting average of 0.080 (2 hits in 25 at-bats) and 1 RBI, he realized the wall of the first team. KT coach Lee Kang-cheol considered filling the vacancy in the starting center fielder (28, absent for 5-6 weeks due to a fracture near the pinky finger on the back of his left hand) with Jung Joon-young, but after judging that he lacked first-team experience, he was sent down to the Futures League. Jung Joon-young is starting a new season in the Futures League.
After the exhibition game with NC on the 27th, Jung Joon-young looked back on his overall experience in the first team. “This is a workplace, not a school, so I’m adapting my daily life routine to suit it (professional),” he explained. .
Currently, Jung Joon-young is cowering in the atmosphere of the first team. He is in a situation where he can’t solve it at his own pace enough to say that he has no room at bat. “The reason (hitting) was good in high school was that there was room at bat, but now it seems that there is none. “I have good control, so I only attack my weak points. Considering that, I am supplementing to keep the balance as far back as possible. I also try to relax mentally.”
The coaching staff and seniors are paying a lot of attention to Jung Joon-young and are making unsparing efforts to quickly adapt to the professional world. “The coach said, ‘It’s okay to do it slowly’ because it’s still an exhibition game, and the seniors also said, ‘The result is important, but I think of it as a good experience, and since I’m young, let’s prepare well.’ He said a lot of good things.”
Jung Joon-young wanted to follow the play of kt’s current assault leader Jo Yong-ho (34), who plays baseball with a fighting spirit through hustle play, taking charge of the offensive. “(Cho Yong-ho) when I ask something I’m curious about, he answers well. I need to learn a lot of things (know-how) like that,” he smiled.
Jung Joon-young himself confessed in his heart that his play has become “smaller” than in his high school days. Attention is focusing on whether Jung Joon-young, who had been withering for a while during the demonstration game, will be able to adapt to the pros and become the team’s new assault leader.
