https://www.donga.com/news/Sports/article/all/20260813/134469381/1
(article is in Korean. Below is translation via Google Translate)
[Exclusive] Cheongdam High School Outfielder Shin Hee-ju Becomes First Korean High School Player to Sign with MLB Milwaukee
Cheongdam High School outfielder Shin Hee-ju (18) has signed a contract with the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB).
This marks the first time the Milwaukee Brewers of the National League (NL) Central Division have signed a Korean high school player. It is the second time an amateur player has signed a contract, following Park Cheol-sun in 1980. The contract amount for Shin Hee-ju is undisclosed. Milwaukee, which currently leads the MLB in winning percentage (as of the 12th), is considered to have the best farm system in the league. They also signed infielder Bae Ji-hwan on the 10th.
This is also the first time a player from the Cheongdam High School baseball team in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, which was founded in 2016, has advanced to the United States. This is the third contract signed this year, following Gwangju High School pitcher Park Chan-min (Philadelphia) and Deoksu High School infielder Um Jun-sang (Arizona). Shin Hee-ju, who is 175 cm tall and weighs 72 kg, is a right-handed pitcher and left-handed hitter outfielder. As of the 12th, he has recorded a batting average of .349 (29 hits in 83 at-bats), 15 RBIs, and 27 runs in 23 official tournaments this year. Last year, as a sophomore, he won the batting and home run awards in the second half of the Weekend League (Gyeonggi Region C) with a batting average of .625 (10 hits in 16 at-bats), 1 home run, and 7 RBIs. He started playing baseball as a hobby in the fourth grade of elementary school and began his career as a professional player in earnest at the Gyeonggi Jeongnam SBC in 2021, when he was a first-year middle school student. He has played various positions, including catcher and infielder. In fact, Shin Hee-ju did not receive much attention from domestic clubs. However, Milwaukee highly valued Shin Hee-ju's potential. Lee Seung-jae, Milwaukee's scout for Korea who led the signing of Shin Hee-ju, explained, "Shin Hee-ju is a player who possesses many qualities as a hitter. He has outstanding plate discipline and excellent wrist strength when batting. Given his speed and base-running sense, we judged that he is a player who can grow further if given the opportunity." During the 80th Golden Eagle National High School Baseball Tournament and Weekend League Championship held at Mokdong Baseball Stadium in Seoul this past May, Shin Hee-ju made a strong impression with his outstanding performance in front of the Milwaukee Brewers' Vice President of International Scouting and Director, who were in attendance. During the tournament, Shin Hee-ju led Cheongdam High School to the quarterfinals as the number 3 hitter and left fielder, recording a batting average of .545 (6 hits in 11 at-bats) and 4 RBIs. In the first round against Cheongju High School (a 9-7 victory), he reached base five times solely through walks. Cheongdam High School, currently competing in the Bonghwanggi National High School Baseball Tournament, will play its second-round match against Seorak High School at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul on the 13th.
The club plans to hold Shin Hee-joo's signing ceremony in Milwaukee. Once his visa issuance is finalized, Shin is expected to travel to Arizona around October to participate in the club's instructional league. Ahead of this season, MLB Pipeline ranked Milwaukee first among the 30 MLB farm systems. The publication noted that Milwaukee has not had a player selected within the top 10 overall picks since 2017, indicating the team's strength in international amateur signings and player development.
