17 billion Ryu Hyun-jin, 10 wins, 151 billion Kim Kwang-hyun, 12 wins, 103 billion Yang Hyun-jong, 11 wins. A.C.E of left hand in the national team. What's this year?

Feb 11, 2025

Hanwha Ryu Hyun-jin, SSG Kim Kwang-hyun, KIA Yang Hyun-jong (from left) Sports Chosun DB

The Hanwha-Doosan match held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 25th. Starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin is pitching. Jamsil = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.8.25/

Ryu Hyun-jin (38, Hanwha Eagles), Kim Kwang-hyun (37, SSG Landers), and Yang Hyun-jong (37, KIA Tigers), who represent Korea's three left-handed pitchers, are veterans in their second year playing together in the KBO League.

As Ryu Hyun-jin returned from the Major League last year, all three players will be available in the KBO League. I was wondering who would perform best among those who are still in the ace position in the team beyond their mid-30s. It was hard to say which of the three was definitely good.

Ryu Hyun-jin went 10-8 with a 3.87 ERA in 28 appearances. Among the three, quality starts were the most with 16 times, and the ERA was the best. He is also No. 1 in strikeouts and has at least a walk and at least a home run. With 28 games, the number of games pitched was the lowest, and the number of innings was the lowest.Although there were few walks, the hit rate was the highest at 287.

Kim Kwang-hyun pitched in 31 games, recording 12 wins and 10 losses with a 4.93 ERA. He pitched in the most games among the three and raised the number of wins. He also struck out the most with 154 strikeouts. However, he had the highest ERA. He hit the most home runs with 24 home runs, and his quality start was the least with 13. He also has 73 walks, the most. The on-base allowance per inning was also the highest at 1.45.

Kim Kwang-hyun. Photo courtesy = SSG Landers

A match between the KIA Tigers and the Samsung Lions in Game 5 of the Korean Series at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 28th. KIA Yang Hyun-jong is pitching hard. Gwangju = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.10.28/

Yang Hyun-jong pitched in 29 games, recording 11 wins and 5 losses with a 4.10 ERA. It is a medium report card among the three. The hit rate was the lowest at 257, and the on-base allowance per inning was the best at 1.25. Despite playing in 29 games, he played the most innings with 171 ⅓, setting a record of 170 innings for the 10th consecutive year.

2025 when I got a year older. Ryu Hyun-jin turned 38, and Kim Kwang-hyun and Yang Hyun-jong turned 37. Even now, the three are in the position of domestic ace within the team. He is a person who looks forward to victory when he takes the mound.

Since the three play the same role as pillars of the team, their performance also affects the team's performance. Hanwha is expected to play in the new stadium this season, reinforcing FA Um Sang-baek and Shim Woo-joon, and expects a performance of more than five rounds. SSG tied for fifth place last year, but lost to KT Wiz in the fifth-place match to become sixth. There was a lot of regret over Kim Kwang-hyun's poor performance. This season, we have to reach the top five, and Kim Kwang-hyun's revival is essential.

Last year's winning team KIA suffered from injuries to domestic pitchers, but it was important that Yang Hyun-jong showed steady performance and took the center stage. Yang Hyun-jong should be consistent this season as he seeks to win for the second consecutive year.

Of the three left-handed aces representing Korea, who will show more presence this season.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.