Top KBO draft pick receives largest rookie signing bonus

The Kiwoom Heroes, a team in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), made a record-breaking move in Wednesday's draft when they signed their top pick, 18-year-old Ha Hyun-seung, with the largest rookie signing bonus in league history. The bonus, amounting to 1.6 billion won ($1.2 million), surpasses the previous record set in 2006 when the Kia Tigers gave Han Ki-joo 1 billion won.

Ha, an all-around talent, was selected first overall at the annual KBO draft last month. Throughout his high school years at Busan High School, Ha showcased his prowess as both a pitcher and a hitter. In the 2023 draft, the Heroes' general manager, Huh Seung-pil, emphasized Ha's dual capabilities, stating that he was a pitcher and position player.

During the regular season, Ha demonstrated his pitching prowess with a 4-0 record, a remarkably low 0.39 ERA, and 77 strikeouts across 42 2/3 innings pitched in 15 starts. His offensive skills were equally impressive, batting .383/.495/.593 in 24 games, including three home runs and 21 RBIs. At the U18 Asian Baseball Championship in September, Ha continued his dominance, posting a perfect 3-0 record while allowing no runs over 15 2/3 innings.

He struck out 25 batters while only walking two. Notably, he tossed seven shutout innings and limited opponents to just one hit.