Will the three rising stars of the mound erase the shadow of the ‘Tokyo Dome Disaster’?
2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), which ended with Japan’s victory, was recorded as a ‘Tokyo Dome disaster’ for Korea. Following the 2013 and 2017 WBC, the weakening of the mound was pointed out as the Achilles heel of Korean baseball, which was frustrated at the threshold of the first round of the three consecutive finals. There is an analysis that Korean baseball is being weeded out in the trend of world baseball, which is achieving a ‘restraint revolution’ that throws a fast ball of 150 km per hour and throws a ball of 160 km quickly.
It is encouraging that new pitchers who knocked on the door of the professional stage this season stand out in the KBO league demonstration game that began under such circumstances. It is not difficult to adapt to the pros in the first year of their debut, but new pitchers are putting their own weapons at the forefront to enter the 2023 KBO League opening game starting on the 1st of next month.
Among the rookie pitchers, the most notable player is Yoon Young-chul (19), who wears a KIA uniform with the second overall pick in the draft. He has a fast ball speed of less than 140km, but his blade control and game management skills with slider and changeup are excellent. He pitched in two exhibition games, giving up no runs on 4 hits and 2 walks in 8.2 innings. He also picked up 9 strikeouts, even without a fastball. On the 26th, he also started in the match against NC Future Steam and fought back with 5 innings and 1 run.
Hanwha Kim Seo-hyeon (19), the first pick in the overall draft, is also attracting attention with her fast ball that goes well over 150 km. In the demonstration game against Lotte on the 26th, he pitched in 4 demonstration games, including 1 scoreless inning, and received a passing score with 3 hits, 4 strikeouts and 1 run in 4 innings. If Kim Seo-hyun, who throws a fast ball, settles down in Pil Seung-jo, the Hanwha mound can become even stronger this season.토토사이트
If Kim Seo-hyun and Yoon Young-cheol are rookies who have received hot expectations from before joining as the 1st and 2nd overall picks, Park Myeong-geun (19), who was nominated by LG in the 27th place in the 3rd round, is dreaming of a rebellion in the lower nominations. Park Myeong-geun, a sidearm with a rather small height (174cm) for a pitcher, stands out with a fast ball and slider in the mid to late 140km range. He pitched in three exhibition games, giving up two runs in 8.1 innings and posting an earned run average of 2.16. His control was outstanding as he only gave up 7 hits and only 1 walk.
In addition, Lee Ho-seong (19) of Samsung, Lee Ro-un (19) of SSG, and Shin Young-woo (19) of NC are also showing their potential in the demonstration game. Attention is focusing on whether the rookies will be able to calm down the public opinion of baseball fans who are disappointed with the WBC by continuing their performances in the regular league.