In years past it wasn’t uncommon for a major league player to interrupt a promising career to serve in the military. These days you don’t see it so much. However, for Koreans there is no choice. All men are required to serve a 26-month military service before they turn 25.

It’s possible that if not for his army service that pitcher Jung Sung-ki would be a contributing member of the Atlanta Braves bullpen right now. He was out of baseball three years and reportedly didn’t throw a baseball during that time.

But when Jung did come back this year he picked up right where he left off. He was promoted to AA following a dominant stay with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans for which he recently earned a pitcher of the year award for the high A level from the Braves. Given the fact he didn’t play baseball for three years Jung’s 2007 season was a remarkable sucess. 

Year Team Level IP SV BB SO ERA WHIP
2004 Rome       -A 67 18 26 83 2.15 1.22
2007 M.Beach +A 39 22 12 49 1.15 0.87
2007 Mississippi AA 9 1 1 8 1.92 1.07

Jung grew up in Yeosu (literally “peaceful water city). By Korean standards it’s a small town (pop. 300,000) and is situated midway on the south coast of Korea. The city itself includes 317 islands, and was used as the country’s naval base during the Imjin War with Japan during the early 1500s.

Yeosu is about an hour from Gwangju–so this is the same region of Korea that has historically produced its finest ballplayers; Seo Jae-weong, Kim Byung-hyun and Hee Seop-choi all hail from Jeolla province. 

Jeolla is also home to the Kia Tigers, who have won nine KBO titles since the league started play in 1984. In Korea a team’s home region still plays a big role in the local team’s success and Koreans like to make the same ”there’s something in the water” kind of jokes that people in the states might about Georgia and Texas.  

In high school Jung was an outfielder, but also worked as a starting pitcher. He started experimenting with a 3/4 delivery early on in high school, but by his senior year was using it almost exclusively.

Jung was signed in 2002 by Jason Lee, who was then a scout for the Braves and is currently the head of Pacific Rim scouting with the Indians. Lee signed both Jung and Bong Jung-keun who Braves fans might remember as Jung Bong, who in 2003 made 44 appearances with the Braves.

Bong went on to have arm troubles and after a short stint with the Reds, left America, and is currently 5-6 with a 5.50ERA with the LG Twins of the KBO.

Last year Lee made his first major signing with the Indians, inking one of Taiwan’s top pitchers, Tseng Sung-Wei, who pitches for Kinston, the Indians high A team. 

Today Jung uses the 3/4 side delivery exclusively, throws in the high 80s and occasionally gets into the low 90s (rare for this kind of delivery). In a Aug. 27 article in The Clarion Ledger, Mississippi Braves pitching coach Derek Botelho said: “He hides the ball well. He knows how to pitch. He can add and subtract (mph) when he needs to.”

Most enticing about Jung’s prospects are his high strikeout ratios (11.49/9 at Myrtle Beach) to go along with a tempting .913 inherited runners scored for the Pelicans.

Still, even though he’s had good success at two levels, he’s unlikely to break with the big club next spring. The Braves bullpen has several capable arms in waiting–Joey Devine, Manny Acosta, Jose Ascanio, and Royce Ring, all of whom spent time in the majors this year and will have the upper hand on spots next spring, along with likely closer Rafael Soriano.

Lefty free agents Ron Mahay, who’s pitched well since coming over in the Teixeira/Saltalamacchia trade could be resigned, and Mike Gonzales, who started the year well before having ligament-replacement surgery, will be arbitration eligible, and may be back in May/June.

But if Jung pitches well next year a September callup doesn’t seem out of the question. A shot at a spot in 2009 is surely a possiblity.  

Thanks to Baby Braves for contributions to this report