"'Dad' Park Seok-min Cried"…'Son' Park Jun-hyun, '160km' Promising Prospect, Joins Kiwoom as KBO Draft's 'Overall No. 1 Pick'
"No surprises, but there was drama."
As expected, Park Jun-hyun (Bugil High School), 'son of Park Seok-min', donned the Kiwoom Heroes uniform as the overall first pick in the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft. However, 'dad' Park Seok-min's tears when his son's name was called, and the subsequent 'surprise' selections, made this season's draft even richer.
'Dad' Park Seok-min Cried…'Overall No. 1 Pick' Park Jun-hyun
This year's top draft prospect, right-handed fireballer Park Jun-hyun, who throws up to 157 km/h, was cleared of recent school violence allegations and was predictably Kiwoom's first choice.
His 'dad', former coach Park Seok-min, who joined him on stage, shed tears he had tried to hold back when his son's name was announced.
"I promised myself I wouldn't cry... Jun-hyun must have had many difficulties living as a second-generation baseball player, but I'm grateful as a parent that he grew up so well."
'Position Player' Instead of 'Pitcher'…NC and Hanwha's 'Surprise' Picks
After Park Jun-hyun's first overall selection, the real 'drama' began.
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- 2nd pick NC Dinos → Shin Jae-in, Infield Player from Yushin High School
- 3rd pick Hanwha Eagles → Oh Jae-won, Outfield Player from Yushin High School
Although everyone expected a 'pitcher', NC and Hanwha both made 'surprise' moves by selecting top 'position player' prospects. This was a very unusual choice compared to last year, when 8 out of 10 first-rounders were pitchers.
'Top Prospect' Hampered by 'Injury'…Yang Woo-jin Falls to 8th Pick for LG
Meanwhile, 'fireballer' Yang Woo-jin (Gyeonggi Aviation High School), who was initially a strong contender for the 'overall second pick', fell to 8th pick due to a recently reported 'elbow injury' and was selected by the LG Twins. LG General Manager Cha Myung-seok expressed his satisfaction, saying they were "lucky."
The Beginning of a New Era
Park Jun-hyun's 'tearful first pick' and the 'position player sensation' that swept the upper rounds. The 2026 KBO Rookie Draft clearly showed the changing trends of professional baseball, along with the emergence of new stars.
We look forward to seeing what new winds the 110 'rookies' in their new uniforms will bring to the KBO League.
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