From left-hander Park Chan-hui to 1st-round candidate Lee Seung-won and next year’s 1st-round hopeful Moon Jun-hyeok... Yushin High School is once again a hotbed of draft talent [2026 Elite High School Baseball Tournament]

BUSAN (Gijang) — This season in Korean high school baseball, left-handed pitchers as a group are looking unusually strong.
The 2026 Elite High School Baseball Tournament, being held at Gijang-Hyundai Motor Dream Ballpark, is serving as a spectacular showcase. Led by “Busan High School’s Ohtani” Ha Hyeonseung, top-tier left-handers such as Masan High School’s Lee Yoon-sung and Saegwang High School’s Lee Jun-ho have become prime targets for professional scouts. On top of that, new faces unveiled at the tournament, including Incheon High School’s Kim Young-gyu and Bugil High School’s Kim Min-jae, are emerging as prospects to watch.
At the heart of this fierce left-hander renaissance, Yushin High School has confidently thrown down the gauntlet.
In the team’s first game of the tournament on the 1st against the Busan High School Baseball Team, the start by Yushin High School’s tall left-hander Park Chan-hui drew particular interest. His command wavered at times, leading to seven walks and hit batters, but he repeatedly escaped trouble with his trademark feel for changing speeds and minimized the damage. Over four innings and 83 pitches, he racked up an impressive seven strikeouts. His fastball topped out around 142 km/h, proving that he is a tall left-hander with enough upside to warrant serious attention this season.
A scout from one professional club noted, “It’s his first game of the tournament, so his command is a bit up and down, but he does seem to have a feel for changing speeds. The velocity is pretty good too, considering how cold it is.”


But Park Chan-hui is not the end of what makes Yushin High School’s pitching staff so intimidating.
Right-hander Moon Jun-hyeok, who closes games for Yushin High School, electrified the Gijang region in Busan with overpowering stuff. He did surrender a painful triple and was hurt by a defensive error that led to one run, but he still struck out four batters in 21⁄3 innings, showcasing explosive development.
Even in the chilly weather, his fastball consistently registered 145 km/h or higher on scouts’ radar guns, a sign of the sheer power behind his pitches. A scout from one club at the ballpark said, “For next season, there isn’t yet a clearly defined top overall prospect. Players from schools like Chungam High School and Daejeon High School are all in the mix, and I see Moon Jun-hyeok as one of the candidates in that very top tier,” offering high praise. In other words, he is firmly in the 1st-round conversation and, depending on his growth, could even emerge as the top prize in the draft.
His arm slot isn’t particularly high, but the heavy life on his pitches, generated from an excellent frame, is more than enough to overpower hitters. Many view him as a dark horse who could shake up next year’s draft landscape.



On top of that, there is another major X-factor that cannot be overlooked: left-handed ace Lee Seung-won of Yushin High School, widely regarded as a “1st-round candidate.”
He is currently sidelined with an injury and unable to pitch in this tournament, but expectations around him in scouting circles remain sky-high. If Lee Seung-won returns to the mound healthy, Yushin High School would instantly boast one of the deepest pitching staffs in the nation. Manager Hong Seok-moo of Yushin High School also expressed strong confidence in his staff, saying, “If Lee Seung-won comes back, I believe our team can definitely join the ranks of the strongest championship contenders.”
With Park Chan-hui’s savvy game management, Moon Jun-hyeok’s overpowering 145 km/h fastball, and ace Lee Seung-won waiting to return, Yushin High School has built a deep and diverse pitching staff. At 1:30 p.m. on the 3rd, they will face Masan Yongma High School in a pivotal showdown for a spot in the semifinals.
High school baseball fans are now focused on whether Yushin High School, backed by its seemingly endless well of pitching talent, can fully prove its credentials as a true title contender on the shores of Gijang.
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter