Hyeon-jong Yang
From BR Bullpen
Hyeon-jong Yang (양현종)
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 6' 0", Weight 187 lb.
- High School Dongsung High School
- Born March 1, 1988 in Gwangju South Korea
Hyeon-jong Yang emerged as one of Korea's top pitchers in 2009.
Yang was a high school star. He pitched for South Korea in the 2006 World Junior Championship, helping them win Gold. In the semifinals, he outdueled Canada's Philippe Aumont, a first-round pick in MLB's draft. Yang went in the first round of the KBO draft that year to the KIA Tigers.
In 2007, Yang was 1-2 with a 4.17 ERA in 31 games as a reliever. He went 0-5 with a 5.83 ERA in 48 outings in 2008. Yang turned it around in 2009, moving into the rotation and dazzling with a 12-5, 3.15 record. He fanned 139 in 148 1/3 innings while allowing 133 hits. He was 5th in the league in ERA, tied for 9th in wins and was 4th in strikeouts. His record was nearly identical to KIA's ace, former major leaguer Aquilino Lopez (14-5, 3.12). He helped KIA win a spot in the 2009 Korean Series.
