It is rare to see a player bypass the professional ranks in their own country. No matter how great of a prospect someone in Japan or South Korea may be, and regardless of whether or not they are on the major league radar, they typically end up joining Nippon Professional Baseball or the Korean Baseball Organization.
At least, that is the case most of the time. There have been exceptions, such as Shin-soo Choo, but they are few and far between. According to Bae Ji-heon of Naver.com, pitching prospect Jun-seok Shim did not apply for the KBO Draft, making it likely that he is eyeing a trek stateside.
Jun-seok Shim could come to major league organization
As noted by Sung Min Kim, Shim is a Scott Boras client. It is possible that Boras is angling to have Shim try his luck stateside since he could earn a higher signing bonus there than he would in the KBO Draft.
Kim also provided a bit of a scouting report on Shim as well. A right handed pitcher, he has a fastball that has been clocked at approximately 98 MPH in high school tournament games this year, and unofficially reached 100 MPH during scrimmages. He has a large frame at 6’4″ tall and weighs 227 pounds. That build certainly lends itself to his impressive velocity, and possible gains down the road.
There are some issues. Kim noted that Shim has struggled with his command, particularly after dealing with back pain and cramps. Back issues for a prospect are certainly a concern, especially for a younger one. Those issues could also have a lot to do with his command problems as Kim alluded to.
Despite those concerns, Shim is an intriguing prospect. That fastball velocity alone is going to attract attention, and he could certainly receive a solid signing bonus. The only real question is whether or not he would sign during this signing period or next year.
Jun-seok Shim has decided to forgo the Koreano Baseball Organization Draft. This could mean that he will be looking to come stateside.