The Prodigy Who Rejected the Major League Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 

They retired the second batter in just three pitches with a comebacker to the mound, and against the third hitter, they pulled his bat in with an inside pitch on a 2–2 count.

The batter tried to stop, but the third-base umpire ruled it a swing, ending the top of the first.

Hyunsu’s inside pitch was definitely sharp today. The only concern was that his outside fastball kept missing. That was something we’d need to pay attention to.

Still, the fact remained… we’d gotten through the first inning cleanly.

“Hyunsu! Good job!”

“What are you even saying? Why do you keep mixing up awkward English lately?”

Excuse me? Awkward English?

If you combined the eight years before my regression and the twenty years from my first regression, that’s twenty-eight years of native English under my belt!

 

***

 

Bottom of the 1st – Our Offense

 

Jeongchun High’s head coach, Seong Mansu, sent Jo Hyeongseo to the mound first among his trio of aces.

A right-handed pitcher standing 190 cm tall, capable of consistently throwing 150 km/h. His ongoing issue, however, was control.

You didn’t even need a scouting report… his pitching videos were all over the internet.

That just showed how much attention he was getting.

Of course, my clips were online too.

 

> [Seongun High Song Seongjun #PickoffToSecond]

> [Pop time that would make Molina cry! Seongun High catcher Song Seongjun]

 

I didn’t know which version of Molina they were referring to, but anyway.

All my clips were basically throws to second and throws to first.

“Ball.”

Against leadoff hitter Park Songchan, Hyeongseo got ahead with two strikes, then threw three straight balls to run it full count. On the seventh pitch, he struck him out swinging with a fastball.

I glanced at the scoreboard.

[150 km/h]

Starting at 150 in the first inning.

His velocity was legit. But the assessment that his control couldn’t keep up with his stuff also seemed accurate.

Even the second batter, Kang Seungju, went to a full count. Another swinging strikeout on a fastball.

‘Even without great control, he’s overpowering hitters with velocity alone.’

“OK. Got it.”

I grabbed my bat and headed to the on-deck circle. After watching me in the intrasquad game, Coach had moved me up to cleanup.

The third hitter, Yoo Junho, followed the same pattern.

 

High ball for pitch one.

Strike on pitch two.

A slider way outside on pitch three.

A strike on pitch four that got fouled off.

Pitch five missed completely behind him… full count.

Pitch six was fouled off.

Pitch seven was taken high for ball four.

 

Three batters. Three full counts.

Twenty-one pitches already in the first inning.

“Is he some kind of full-count addict?”

I muttered to the Jeongchun catcher as I stepped in. Pure concern, of course.

“What?”

Not the best reaction.

I’d only said one line.

“Song Seongjun.”

Ah. Right.

“Yes, Blue… sorry!”

American habits. Damn it.

This was Korea. Land of etiquette and respect.

At least I apologized quickly. That was the end of it.

Focus on the pitcher.

With a runner on first, Hyeongseo switched to the set position. First pitch… a fastball.

“Ball.”

High again.

The second pitch was a ball the moment it left his hand.

No hitter’s going to chase that.

Still, it was a hitting count.

At 2–0, I sat on a pitch.

“Swing! Strike.”

That slider had some bite.

“Good job. Nice pitch.”

The catcher didn’t reply.

Quiet guy.

Pitch four.

“Ball.”

Another slider.

As a fellow battery mate, that was disappointing.

Surely he wasn’t calling another slider just because he got a swing last time?

If the pitch sequencing was that simple…

‘Works for me.’

3 balls and 1 strike.

I had room to work with.

Hyeongseo came to the set.

So did I.

He threw.

I matched my timing to the four-seam fastball I’d tracked from the on-deck circle and confirmed in the box.

 

Maybe 150 km/h had been tough for the three hitters before me.

But in the Major Leagues?

150 km/h was not fast.

Crack!

I lifted Hyeongseo’s fastball.

The ball carried deep, smashing into the very top of the netting to the left of Mokdong Stadium’s scoreboard before dropping down.

“Wow.”

Even I thought that was a big one.

I honestly hadn’t expected it to go that far.

‘Maybe the pitch speed helped the carry?’

Either way, I coolly flipped the bat and rounded the bases.

When I stepped into the dugout, chaos erupted.

“Seongjun! A home run in your first at-bat?!”

“That’s insane!”

“If it were a little higher, it would’ve left the stadium!”

“Did you see Hyeongseo’s face? Looked like he swallowed something rotten.”

The celebration felt a little excessive.

Was it always like this?

Maybe I just didn’t remember… twenty years had passed.

Hyunsu sat down next to me.

“That Homer was seriously awesome.”

“One more compliment won’t make me forget you smacked the back of my head earlier.”

That hit had some snap, too.

“Hey! That was an accident.”

“Yeah, right. Don’t smile. You’re making me soft.”

“Ha! My smile’s my trademark. What would I have left without it?”

He did look like a bandit, to be fair.

“But seriously…151 on the board.”

“Predictable.”

“Predictable?”

“The pitch sequencing.”

Against the first three hitters, whenever they got behind in the count or went full, they always went with the fastball.

The pitcher trusted his heater.

So I timed the fastball.

And I had the count advantage.

“If you throw a fastball when the hitter’s sitting on it, you’re basically serving it up.”

“Didn’t you see the velocity? 151.”

“So what? Even 160 gets crushed if it’s obvious.”

“You talk like you’ve hit one.”

“….”

“Ha! Nothing to say?”

Hyunsu grinned as he’d won.

I just shrugged.

The only reason I didn’t answer was simple.

If I said I had hit 160 before, that wouldn’t make sense for who I am right now.

 

***

 

“Moon Seungchan hasn’t come out yet.”

“Coach Seong usually doesn’t use his ace first. He tends to bring him in second.”

“Ah.”

“Looks like there are more MLB scouts here than KBO scouts today.”

Toronto Blue Jays scout Cristian Romero nodded.

Everyone likely had the same purpose.

“Moon’s worth it.”

A 157 km/h fastball plus plenty of other tools.

Most importantly?

His frame.

At 197 cm, he stood 7 cm taller than the average MLB pitcher.

He hadn’t committed to either KBO or MLB yet, but rumors said he was leaning toward MLB.

“What do you think of this current pitcher?”

His interpreter gestured to Hyeongseo.

“Not bad. But the control needs polishing.”

In short, not particularly intriguing.

150 in Korean high school ball was impressive.

In the minors? Common.

Control issues meant too many pitches.

Cristian found a silver lining.

“We may get to see Moon sooner.”

More pitches meant an earlier exit.

The batter stepped in.

“That’s Song.”

Song Seongjun.

Cristian recognized the face.

“His batting form changed.”

“Did it?”

“He used to use a leg kick. Now he’s toe-tapping.”

Switching to a toe tap for better timing and fastball adjustment was common. Power usually dipped.

The organization wasn’t particularly interested in Song.

“I heard the Phillies scout is watching him.”

“The Phillies lack catching prospects.”

Meaning not zero catchers… just none worth betting on.

“Maybe they’re hoping to draft a catcher lottery pick next year.”

MLB’s draft lottery determined picks 1–6 among non-playoff teams.

The Phillies had lottery eligibility.

“And that top catcher next year… Joey Garland?”

Cristian nodded.

“If they win first pick, that’s hitting the lottery.”

“Unfortunately, we’re out of that race.”

Toronto was leading the AL East.

The count ran to 3–1.

“Another full count?”

“Likely.”

Cristian agreed.

Hyeongseo’s velocity was overpowering hitters.

Then…

Crack!

Song swung.

Both men stopped talking.

The ball rocketed into the very top of Mokdong’s outfield netting.

“If that had been a bit higher, it might’ve gone out.”

The interpreter clicked his tongue.

It was massive.

Previously, someone had cleared that net… estimated 159 meters.

This wasn’t that far.

But it was enormous.

The reason Song hadn’t drawn attention before?

He was a catcher.

MLB organizations rarely preferred Asian catchers due to communication concerns.

Unless desperate, like Philadelphia.

“How far would you estimate?”

Cristian asked.

“If it hit the top of the net, that starts at 427 feet (about 130 meters).”

“And that was near the top.”

“So farther than 427 feet.”

Cristian paused.

“Hwang. Pull up his file.”

Toe tap. Nearly 94 mph. Massive home run.

Prospects could grow rapidly.

But this?

Impressive.

No harm in checking.

 

***

 

It wasn’t just Toronto noticing.

Thirteen MLB teams had sent representatives.

Some sent department heads.

They were there for Moon Seungchan.

But…

“Who’s that?”

“Song? A catcher. Shame. But that power…”

“They’re estimating 460 feet?”

Even uninterested scouts couldn’t ignore it.

The Phillies scout’s eyes sharpened.

‘His swing changed.’

Leg kick to toe tap.

And nearly 460 feet.

‘Fifty thousand won’t do.’

The Phillies had planned to offer around $500,000 as an international amateur bonus.

After that swing?

No chance.

Except for the Phillies, who desperately needed catchers, Song had been off MLB radar.

But in KBO circles, he was already considered a first-round catching prospect.

Unless a team didn’t need a catcher.

Now?

That home run cracked even those evaluations.

“His power’s way better than expected.”

“Has a high schooler ever hit 140 meters with a wooden bat?”

“Did you see the swing? Toe tap. No leg kick. And he sends it 140 meters? Damn.”

Right-handed sluggers capable of 140-meter bombs weren’t common in the KBO.