If that's the case, the KIA trade broke out in three years...Now, we're looking for a starter
Jan 05, 2025
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KIA Tigers right-hander Kim Do-hyun (25) will try to settle the starting rotation in the new year. Kim Do-hyun properly impressed KIA fans last year. It was the third year since he came to KIA through a trade in April 2022. KIA manager Lee Bum-ho registered Kim Do-hyun, who was a nurturing player, as an official player in May last year and put him in the first team. At that time, the second-tier report was so good. Kim Do-hyun joined the KIA 2nd Army Training Facility in Hampyeong as soon as he was discharged from the military on February 21 last year, and the increase in his arrest was surprising. Kim Do-hyun was a player whose average fastball speed was in the early 140km range before joining the army, but he recorded a maximum speed of 151km and an average speed of 149kg ahead of last year's first-team call-up. This is why coach Lee wanted to see Kim Do-hyun on the mound in person.
Kim Do-hyun has lived up to expectations. He pitched in 35 games (10 starts) with a 4-6 record, three holds, 75 innings, and a 4.92 ERA. In the Korean Series, he pitched two relief games and contributed to the team's overall victory by pitching three innings of one hit, one walk, and three strikeouts. Both coach Lee and the coaches watched Kim Do-hyun's performance last season satisfactorily because he was a player who used the first team with a weight of 'possibility'.
KIA pitching coach Jung Jae-hoon "Do-hyun must have gained a lot of confidence last year." Even though he had a good ball, he pitched a little timidly. The coaches kept trying to remind Do-hyun 'Your ball is good' Then, he played a big game called the Korean Series, and I think he must have gained a lot of confidence because he had a good experience of being good at it. If we go into the starting rotation this year, I think we'll get a much better performance than last year, so we're looking forward to it" heaped praise on us.
When KIA acquired Kim Do-hyun in a trade, it took the bleeding of giving up two right-hander Lee Min-woo (32) and outfielder Lee Jin-young (28) to the Hanwha Eagles. Kim Do-hyun was not a fast pitcher even in Hanwha's days, but he had excellent ability to use breaking balls such as curves, sliders, and changeups. In other words, KIA expected his growth potential.
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The 18 months spent in the military were not in vain. It was a period that set the stage for a surge in confinement. Kim Do-hyun said "I'm surprised sometimes because the speed is so low (150km/h). There was nothing I could do in the military, so I tried to do weight training and running steadily. After going back, I looked back and said, "The second-tier coach or coach helped me a lot with management."
KIA coaches, including head coach Lee Bum-ho, acknowledge Kim Do-hyun's ball power. Last year was a more meaningful season as Kim Do-hyun himself gained confidence that his ball worked in the first team than simply recorded figures. Using this experience as a springboard, the new year should be a season to make sure that he solidifies his position in the first team. To do that, you have to be a little stronger psychologically on the mound.
Coach Chung said, `"There's definitely a bad situation for any pitcher on the mound. You should be good at controlling damage to bad situations and bad results. That's all Do-hyun needs to do. In baseball, due to the nature of the game, if today's game goes over, we have to go back to square one tomorrow and play the next game. You should quickly forget bad things and control such damage so that it becomes a good situation again. Do-hyun has improved that point as he continues to play the season, but if one thing is bad, there was a pattern in which other things became bad in a series due to the problem. If you control it well, you won't have any problems playing a full season. He gave advice and encouragement, saying, "I'm in good physical condition and I'm in good stamina."
KIA has newly formed foreign one-two punch James Nail (32) and Adam Oler (31) this year, and only left-hander Yang Hyun-jong (37) has confirmed his position as the starting pitcher in Korea. Kim Do-hyun and Yoon Young? (21) and Hwang Dong-ha (23) are expected to compete for the remaining two seats. Left-hander Lee Eui-ri (23) underwent elbow surgery in June last year, making it difficult to join the starting rotation from the opening. Kim Tae-hyung (19), a rookie in the first round of 2025, is also a candidate for preliminary selection. Even if the two seats are empty, the competitors are not easy. Will Kim Do-hyun be able to stand out once again from the spring camp and start his first season as a full-time starter.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
