Choi Joo-hwan was nominated as the first choice, Kiwoom did not hesitate “We will fill in the gaps”

“Lucky to be given the opportunity to be selected in the first round”
Pitcher Seok-joo Oh was selected as the 7th pick… Pitcher Cho Sung-hoon ranked 21st

Kiwoom Heroes, who had the first overall pick in the first round of the second draft, selected veteran infielder Choi Joo-hwan (35). He had no hesitation in his choice. Kiwoom took Choi Joo-hwan's hand, considering both offense and defense.

At the '2024 KBO 2nd Draft' held at The K Hotel in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 22nd, Kiwoom selected Choi Joo-hwan as the first overall pick in the first round.

Kiwoom was thirsty for offense this year. He ranked last in team home runs (61 home runs) and 9th in slugging percentage (0.353), placing him at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Kiwoom, which urgently needed to strengthen its offensive power, needed a hitter with long hits, and chose Choi Joo-hwan first. Choi Joo-hwan played in 1,268 games in the KBO League, recording 115 home runs, 594 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.787. He painted 20 arches this year.

Kiwoom general manager Ko Hyeong-wook said in a phone call with Newsis on the 22nd, “It was fortunate that we were given the opportunity to select Choi Joo-hwan in the first round. He gave the reason, saying, “I nominated him because I judged that he could fill in the gaps in the team.”

It has a positive impact not only on offense but also on defense. Choi Joo-hwan can defend both second base and first base. Since Kim Hye-seong is guarding second base, Choi Joo-hwan is expected to take charge of first base defense. This year, Kiwoom did not have a clear starting first baseman.

General manager Ko said, “(Kim) Hye-seong cannot play all games at second base. Choi Joo-hwan can play second base and first base as well. It is highly useful in defense. Considering the offense, he could even go as a designated hitter. He said, “He will be able to fill in various areas that are lacking, such as long hits, RBI, and defense.”

In addition to Choi Joo-hwan, Kiwoom selected right-handed pitchers Oh Seok-ju (25) and Cho Seong-hoon (24) as the 7th overall and 21st overall picks, respectively.

Seok-Joo Oh joined the LG Twins as the 52nd overall pick in the 2nd 6th round of the 2017 rookie draft. He appeared in 25 games for the first team, pitched 27 innings, and had an ERA of 5.67.

Seong-Hoon Cho wore the SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers) uniform as the 5th overall pick in the 2nd 1st round of the 2018 rookie draft. His overall first-team record is 3 games, 1 loss, and an average ERA of 8.22.

General Manager Ko said, “Seok-Joo Oh is a player with good ball control, game management ability, and strikeout ability. “If he gets a chance, he will be able to live up to the team’s expectations,” he said. “Cho Seong-hoon is a pitcher who throws a ball at 150 km per hour. I had surgery for an elbow injury and rehabilitation is almost complete. “If he does a good job with his rehabilitation, he will be a great prospect for our team,” he said. sportstotomen.com