I think I'm very lucky. The head of the car caught him in surprise. The first candidate is nominated for 8th place. Is he going to be the next Kim Youngwoo

Sep 17, 2025

2026 KBO rookie draft was held at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul on the 17th. Yang Woo-jin of Gyeonggi Air High School, who was nominated by LG in the first round, is taking a commemorative photo. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.09.17/

2026 KBO rookie draft was held at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul on the 17th. Yang Woo-jin of Gyeonggi Air High School, who was nominated by LG in the first round, is giving his feelings. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.09.17/

"I think I'm very lucky."

Cha Myung-seok, general manager of the LG Twins, even said this.

LG selected Yang Woo-jin, a Gyeonggi Air High School pitcher, as eighth in the first round in the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft held at Lotte Hotel World Crystal Ballroom in Seoul on the 17th. Yang Woo-jin did not expect to be pushed back like this, but it came all the way to LG, and LG chose it without hesitation.

Park Jun-hyun, the first runner-up, was a situation that everyone expected. I was curious about who would be in the second place, but Yang Woo-jin, the right-hander of Gyeonggi Aviation High School, was sure to be in the top pick. When Park Joon-hyun was rumored to enter the U.S., there were many predictions that Yang Woo-jin would be selected first.

However, the second-ranked NC Dinos selected Yoo Shin-jae, an infielder, and the third-ranked Hanwha Eagles selected Oh Jae-won, an outfielder. After that, a pitcher was selected, but Yang Woo-jin was not called. The fourth-ranked Lotte Giants chose Dongsan High School pitcher Shin Dong-gun, the fifth-ranked SSG Landers chose Daegu High School pitcher Kim Min-joon, and the sixth-ranked KT Wiz chose Jeon High School pitcher Park Ji-hoon. The seventh-ranked Doosan Bears even passed over to LG when they selected outfielder Kim Joo-oh of Masan Yongmago.

The player LG initially thought of was an infielder. But when Yang Woo-jin came over to LG, he changed his mind.

Cha was surprised in a greeting before the nomination. I think I'm very lucky"I never imagined that this player would come all the way to us, but I think it's been a very meaningful day.", and called Yang Woo-jin's name.

After the nomination, Yang Woo-jin wore an LG uniform and held the microphone. "Thank you to LG for choosing us quickly. I would like to thank director Lee Dong-soo and coach for always giving me many opportunities and experiences since I was a freshman. I'm also grateful to my parents and family for trusting me and being a backwater. I also thank my grandfather in heaven"I'll do my best to become a player representing the LG Twins," he said calmly.

My voice trembled when I asked coach Yeom Kyung-yeop to tell me his determination. "I'll work out hard to show you good performances starting next year."

Yang Woo-jin, born on June 5, 2007, is a fastball pitcher for right-handed utta with a robust physique of 1m90 and 98kg. He pitched in 21 games in three years with a 7-2 record and a 2.59 ERA, and this year, he posted a 3-1 record and a 3.19 ERA in 11 games. He allowed 20 runs (17 earned) in 48 innings and struck out 56.

LG explained, `As a pitcher, he is a pitcher with good physical conditions, stable pitching balance, flexibility and elasticity,' Yang Woo-jin said."It is a pitcher resource that can be started and middleed by using aggressive pitching with good pitching mechanism, fast fastball speed, strong ball end, and high release point.'

LG's Kim Young-woo, who was selected as a rookie this year, grew steadily and grew as a must-win team for the team. Will Yang Woo-jin be the next Kim Young-woo.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.