‘Strongest Baseball’ → Hwang Young-mook, the Independent League’s ‘max-er’, challenges the KBO Draft

Hwang Young-mook, who plays for JTBC’s baseball program “Strongest Baseball” and the Yeoncheon Miracle in the independent league, has decided to try out for the rookie draft.

Hwang Young-mook, who is considered one of the best infielders in the independent league (Gyeonggi Baseball Organization), is knocking on the door of the pros through the ‘Rookie Draft Tryout’ held before the rookie draft.

Hwang is in his fourth year in the independent league, having played for Yeoncheon County (2022-present), Gwangju City (2021), and Seongnam City (2019).

A right-handed infielder, Hwang usually plays third base and shortstop. He has strong shoulders and good defense, and is considered an infielder with accurate contact and power. 스포츠토토

To date, Hwang is batting .422 with 167 hits in 396 at-bats in the Independent League. Noteworthy is Hwang’s ability to produce long balls, with 44 doubles, 12 triples, and seven home runs out of his 63 total long balls.

In the 2022 season, he was named the “Best Shortstop in the League” for his 23-game hitting streak and cycling hits, and in the 2023 season, he was selected as an all-star in the Gyeonggi Independent League and participated in the Korea-Japan Independent League Exchange Game in Japan.

“Unlike others, I have been playing baseball in the independent league dreaming of becoming a professional,” said Hwang Young-mook, who is participating in the draft. I chose an independent league where I could focus on my training in a planned manner, and I also solved my military problems,” he said. “I’ve been working hard every day, and I’m waiting in silence to see what baseball will bring me in 2024.”

It will be interesting to see which team Hwang Young-mook, who has appeared on ‘KBS Youth Baseball Team: Not Out Yet’ and ‘JTBC’s Strongest Baseball,’ will be chosen after a long wait.