The aftermath of the 20th-ranked first nomination shock trade, Kia's indifference is the first time...We talked about 2 or 3R information

Sep 17, 2025

2026 KBO rookie draft was held at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul on the 17th. Kim Hyun-soo of Gwangju High School, who was nominated for KIA, is taking a commemorative photo. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.09.17/

"The scout talked about the player information from the 2nd to 3rd rounds."

Has there ever been such a lack of attention in the history of the KIA Tigers rookie draft. It was a natural result to send all the top 19 players to other teams and make the first nomination with the 20th priority.

KIA selected nine players to grow into the future of the team in the 2026 rookie draft held on the 17th. Kim Hyun-soo, a 20th-ranked Kwangnam High School BC pitcher in the second round, and Kim Min-kyu, a 30th-ranked Whimoon High School outfielder in the third round, were named to try to reach the maximum in a small opportunity.

KIA has been receiving Cho Sang-woo by giving Kiwoom Heroes the first and fourth rounds of the 2026 rookie draft and 1 billion won in cash to reinforce the bullpen in December last year. A setup man was needed to replace Jang Hyun-sik, who moved to the LG Twins as an FA, and Cho Sang-woo, a former Kiwoom closer, was judged to be the right person.

This year, KIA judged that it was the last chance to challenge for the top again while maintaining its unified winning record last year. This is why Cho Sang-woo was recruited by boldly giving up two rookie nominations. KIA was fully expecting the aftermath of the trade, and judged that if Cho Sang-woo was a support to the bullpen, it would be a risk the club could afford.

If KIA had been competing for at least the top five this year, the gamble of giving up two rookie nominations would not have been felt much, but as it fell to eighth place, it is hard to erase the loss of both the present and the future.

KIA has raised and benefited promising players who have recently been selected as top nominees, such as Jung Hae-young (first nomination in 2020), Lee Eui-ri (first nomination in 2021), Kim Do-young (first round in 2023), Yoon Do-hyun (first round in 2022), and Kim Tae-hyung (first round in 2024). So the relative indifference towards this year's draft feels more unfamiliar.

A match between KIA and Samsung held at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 10th. KIA Cho Sang-woo comes down the mound after pitching in the sixth inning. Gwangju =Song Jeong-heon, Reporter Song@sportschosun.com/2025.09.10/

A game between KIA and Doosan at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 12th. KIA Kim Sun-bin hit a walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning. Coach Lee Bum-ho, who is applauding the players. Gwangju =Song Jeong-heon, Reporter Song@sportschosun.com/2025.09.12/

KIA manager Lee Bum-ho talked about the results of the draft prior to the match against the Hanwha Eagles in Gwangju on the 17th. The right-hander (Kim Hyun-soo) who was in the group was picked. I heard that he has good ball speed and throws well. I think the friend came in (our turn) and picked him in the second round."

Kim Hyun-soo, Kia's top designated player this year, is 189 centimeters tall and weighs 97 kilograms. He is an impressive player with excellent physical ability, good flexibility, and stable pitching form. He can use fast balls, sliders, curves, and other good breaking balls in the second half of the 140km maximum speed. He played in many games as a starting pitcher in high school, and is expected to grow into a starting pitcher in the professional league.

In the third round, Kim Min-kyu is a batter with good contact ability with a batting average of more than 40% in the high school league this season. It boasts fast feet, strong shoulders, and a wide range of defense.

Cheongdam High School pitcher Jung Chan-hwa in the fifth round, Jemulpo High School pitcher Ji-hyun in the sixth round, Deoksu High School infielder Park Jong-hyuk in the seventh round, Asan BC pitcher Choi Yoo-chan in the eighth round, Incheon High School infielder Han Joon-hee in the ninth round, Song Won-dae pitcher Sangbum Kim in the 10th round, and Gwangju Dongseong High School catcher Lee Do-hoon in the 11th round.

KIA Scout Group Chairman Sungho Kim named the pitcher mainly for resources that can be used in future bullpens through systematic development. The fielder gave priority to players with good defense"I hope that the players nominated today (17th) will show off their potential and grow into good professional players." he said.