Hyeon-Jong Yang Stats & Scouting Report

Scouting Reports

TRACK RECORD:Yang emerged as one of KBO's top pitchers in the late 2000s and was posted for MLB clubs in 2014, but his club felt the highest bid was too low and pulled him back. Yang went on to win the KBO's MVP award in 2017 and ERA title in 2019 and helped South Korea qualify for the 2020 Olympics with a dominant showing during qualifying. He went 11-10, 4.70 for the Kia Tigers in 2020 and became a free agent after the season.

SCOUTING REPORT: Yang is the prototypical soft-tossing lefty who succeeds with feel and command. His fastball ranges from 88-91 mph, his changeup is his best offering as an average pitch, his slider is fringy and his curveball is a below-average offering. What Yang does is pitch in, out, up and down to prevent hitters from keying in on one part of the plate. His fastball gets on hitters quicker than they expect out his clean delivery, and he has plus command of his breaking pitches, landing them in places hitters can't reach them. He keeps his walks to a minimum, is consistent from start to start and frustrates hitters who struggle to square him up despite his modest stuff.

THE FUTURE: Yang projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter or a swingman depending on the caliber of team he's on. He'll be 33 years old when the 2021 season begins.