enter 18-year-old Gerrit Cole and come out as 21-year-old Shim Jun-seok

Aug 06, 2025

enter 18-year-old Gerrit Cole and come out as 21-year-old Shim Jun-seok
Shim Joon-seok, who took the mound in his debut game in the Pittsburgh Rookie League on June 11, 2023 (Korea Standard Time). Photo = Pittsburgh Pirates SNS Capture



enter 18-year-old Gerrit Cole and come out as 21-year-old Shim Jun-seok
Pittsburgh Pirates Shim Joon-seok poses with open arms on the mound at PNC Park after his joining ceremony on January 27, 2023 (Korea time). Photo =Pittsburgh Pirates Twitter Capture
Another Korean prospect is on the verge of being branded as a "failor".

The Miami Marlins officially announced on the 5th (Korea Standard Time) "Releasing Rookie Level FCL Marlins right-hander Shim Joon-seok." Shim Joon-seok threw 13 ⅓ innings in 13 games this season, losing three games without a win, with a 10.80 ERA, 23 walks, 8 pitches and 16 strikeouts.

As shown in the performance, it is hard to say that his control and ability to manage the game itself are professional players. There are more than twice as many four pitches as the pitching innings. The WHIP reaches 2.40. This means that two or more runners must be sent out in one inning. This is why the Miami club has given up its expectations.




Shortly after Shim moved from the Pittsburgh Pirates to Miami Farm in a trade on July 31 last year, Miami fan media outlet Marlene Maniac'Shim Jun-seok is ranked 20th in the list of prospective My Mamami, but he has all the elements to stand out as a top star or fail depending on whether he grows up.'Shim Jun-seok's rich pitching can make Marlins fans excited in the long run, given that he has a long and above-average starting pitcher development experience.'

However, the negative outlook of the media turned out to be the result. It's a failure.

enter 18-year-old Gerrit Cole and come out as 21-year-old Shim Jun-seok
Shim Jun-seok, a senior at Deoksu High School, who participated in the Blue Dragon Open in July 2022. Sports Chosun DB
Shim Joon-seok threw a fastball of up to 160km during his time at Deoksu High School, drawing attention as 'the second Park Chan-ho'. As a junior, he gave up the 2022 KBO draft and announced his entry into the U.S., signed a $750,000 contract with the Sining Bonus in January 2023 and joined Pittsburgh.




On January 27, 2023, the joining ceremony at PNC Part, Pittsburgh's home stadium, was spectacular. Pittsburgh posted three photos of Shim Jun-seok's joining ceremony, who was 18 years old at the time, on the club's Twitter account and wrote in Korean 'Welcome to the Pittsburgh Pirates'

Shim Jun-seok said in an interview with the team at the time that "There is a long way to go. I'm very happy to be here. It's a moment I've been waiting for so long and I want to throw it here someday. I'm excited about all these moments." It was my dream to play in the U.S. I wanted to come here and achieve my dream.'

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a leading magazine in the Pittsburgh area, also detailed the joining ceremony at the time, saying, `The fastball in the late 90s comes out to 100 miles, and the changeup is excellent as well as sharp curveballs.' The elbow and toe that were injured last year were examined and found to be fine. The Pittsburgh scout met with Shim Joon-seok's family and even guided them to development plans and ways to develop into a major league' he welcomed.




enter 18-year-old Gerrit Cole and come out as 21-year-old Shim Jun-seok
Gerrit Cole during the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie era in 2013. USATODAY Yonhap News
In particular, this media outlet admired Gerrit Cole (New York Yankees) when he was young. It makes sense when comparing the physique of the two and their powerful pitches. Still, Shim Joon-seok himself said he is not as hot-tempered as Cole on the mound, raising expectations among Pittsburgh fans.

Who is Cole. He is from Pittsburgh Farm. He joined Pittsburgh as the No. 1 overall pick in the first round of the 2011 draft and reached the big league in 2013 to become a fastball ace representing the major leagues. Cole also had a 95-96-mile average fastball speed similar to Shim Jun-seok's when he was in the minor league, and he was also 6 feet 4 inches (about 1 m 93) tall, the same as Shim Jun-seok.

He moved to the New York Yankees in 2020 for a huge $324 million in nine years after playing for the Houston Astros and won the AL Cy Young Award in 2023.

enter 18-year-old Gerrit Cole and come out as 21-year-old Shim Jun-seok
Pittsburgh Pirates Shim Joon-seok poses with open arms on the mound at PNC Park after his joining ceremony on January 27, 2023 (Korea time). Photo =Pittsburgh Pirates Twitter Capture
Was it too much hope for Shim Joon-seok, who is similar to Cole's. Frequent injuries after joining the team prevented Shim Jun-seok's growth. He injured his elbow and toe when he was a Deoksu student, and his back and shoulders hurt everywhere across the Pacific Ocean. All he pitched was four games and eight innings at the rookie level in 2023, his first year as a rookie. He didn't play a game in 2024, and he has continued the season relatively healthy since his first appearance on May 10 this season, but he hasn't been able to show his skills.

Shim Jun-seok is now 'Freedom Body'. If you want to stay in the U.S., you can sign a minor league contract and try again. If you return to Korea, you have to go through a two-year grace period. He is only 21 years old, and the reality he has faced for three years with vague yearning and a spirit of ambitious challenge was harsh.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.