Beyond the second Kim Do-young, the second Ohtani super-jackpot sign. Pain in last place for 2 consecutive years, will he be rewarded with this player
Dec 29, 2024
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Kiwoom Heroes experienced the pain of finishing last for two consecutive years. Just two years ago, the Korean Series team suddenly crashed. Of course, there are no unprovoked consequences. Major players such as Lee Jung-hoo, Ahn Woo-jin, and Choi Won-tae left due to transfers and military enlistment, which weakened their power. He was last this season, but he advanced to fall baseball until the middle of the season. He was evaluated as the strongest last place ever.
The club's direction to 'rebuilding' also had a big impact. Some criticize it as 'tanking', but in any case, Kiwoom is in the midst of making a new version. During the season, he gave up the big guns Yoo Myang-ju Kim Hwi-jip to the NC Dinos, bringing two rookie nominations for the first time in history. Recently, he sent key bullpen pitcher Cho Sang-woo to the KIA Tigers. He also received two rookie nominations, including the first round.
Kiwoom sees the future with additional nominations to the No. 1 overall pick of the rookie draft, which was acquired at the bottom of the list for the second consecutive year. First of all, this year, Chung Hyun-woo, a 'completed left-hander', was welcomed as the first No. 1 family member in the club's history. He also considered with the 155km fireballer Jung Woo-joo, who went to the Hanwha Eagles, but Kiwoom chose Jung Hyun-woo, who is considered to be able to be put into the starting rotation immediately as a left-hander. It is expected to be a player who will succeed a large left-handed lineage that has disappeared since Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha), Yang Hyun-jong (KIA), and Kim Kwang-hyun (SSG).
Kiwoom is more excited because of next year's draft. One of the players who will now be a senior in high school will be called by Kiwoom as the No. 1 overall pick. There is still a third-year season left to watch, but there is already a player who is mentioned as a strong candidate. Kim Sung-joon of Gwangju Il High School.
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Kim Sung-joon is evaluated as the No. 1 overall sense in both batter and pitcher positions. As a batter, he hit .37 with one home run, eight RBIs, 26 runs and 13 steals in 28 games this year. The bat speed from the skinny but solid body is fast. a typical medium- and long-distance hitter. Like Kim Do-young (KIA), he is a style that can sufficiently increase the distance through systematic training and management. His feet are fast, too. And the defense is the same as Kim Do-young. The main position is shortstop, but this year, he gave up his shortstop position to his senior and played at third base. The defense based on strong shoulders and wide range reminds me of Lee Jong-beom (current KT coach). Both Gong and Su are outstanding and are from the same Gwangju, so there is a modifier '2nd Kim Do-young'.
But there is something scarier than Kim Do-young. He is more powerful as a pitcher. Spray a fastball over 150km very easily. He pitched in 14 games as a pitcher, recording a 3-1 record and 2.65 ERA. He made a strong impression by overwhelmingly pitching against Deoksu, the strongest player in this year's Blue Dragon quarterfinal.
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What's important is whether the professional program can settle down as 'Ido-ryu'. Kim Sung-joon said "Batter is better than former pitchers. Because I can show you a lot every day. Of course, it's better if it's a two-hitter." Since Kim Do-young and Ohtani were chosen as role models, I don't think there is any need for more explanation.
It is not an impossible scenario for Kiwoom, which gives many opportunities to young players. The reason why the two-stroke combination cannot be activated in the KBO League yet is that there may be team circumstances, but most of them are clear that one position is falling. This year's Lotte Giants rookie Jeon Mir also evaluated that the hit was too rough from manager Kim Tae-hyung's point of view. However, Kim Sung-joon is clearly being evaluated differently, fueling expectations.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
