Do you think it's going to bloom in Busan? 300 million specially managed left-hander dreams of Lotte's heart

Dec 30, 2024

photo courtesy of Lotte Giants

A left-hander who is a direct junior of KIA Tigers' Lee Eui-ri. But a man who dreams of being the heart of Busan.

He wore the Lotte Giants uniform as the fourth overall this year. Will Kim Tae-hyun (19) be able to stand tall as the giraffe of Sajik Stadium.

Kim Tae-hyun, a native of Gwangju Jeil High School, made his first greeting to Busan baseball fans at the end of September. He received enthusiastic cheers for expressing his wish to receive Lotte's franchise star, one-club man, and even permanent number with the keyword `Heart.'

At the time of the nomination, Lotte expressed Kim Tae-hyun as 'Next Generation Selection'. The down payment is 300 million won.

After the National Sports Festival, he joined the final camp, but with the consideration of the club, he left for special training in Tokyo with senior team members Son Ho-young and Park Jin. Systematic weight, rehabilitation, and customized training at the injury prevention center. The club's expectations for Kim Tae-hyun are high.

He was praised for his stable game management ability based on his ball control. He is a pitcher who showed rapid growth when he was a senior in high school. The result of raising the fastball speed by about 10km in a year is the fourth overall nomination.

photo courtesy of Lotte Giants

The fastball speed is in the early and mid 140km, which is not very fast. However, RPM (RPS) exceeds 2600. It is a fastball with a good sense of ball, so-called Rising Fast Ball. I have a lot of pride in myself that `my ball can work even in a professional game.'

A breaking ball throws a curve and a splitter instead of a slider. The breaking ball is still disappointing. In particular, it is important to increase the completeness of slider installation or actual curve and change-up in the future.

He is evaluated as a player with a high potential for further development. In particular, there are many views that it is similar to the high school days of Lee Eui-ri, who is a direct senior. Lee Eui-ri has grown into a top starting pitcher in the league without injuries, raising his speed to the early-mid 150km range after entering the professional league.

Kim Tae-hyun from Gwangju Il High School, who competed in the Cheongryonggi. Sports Chosun DB

At the time of the rookie draft, he was participating in the U-23 baseball championship, but his sense of immediately posting a photo of his uniform by borrowing the uniform of Lotte player Song Jae-young, who participated in the competition together was also outstanding. Kim Won-joong, a senior in his hometown and a pitching team leader, is expected to receive a lot of help in adapting to the team.

The utilization of the next season depends on how it will be shown in the spring camp. Lotte, led by head coach Kim Tae-hyung, is literally running toward 'Winnow'. Right after the nomination, manager Kim Tae-hyung said "These days, first-round pitchers are almost instantly powerful" has expressed considerable expectation.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.