The 2023 KBO League is foreshadowing the most colorful Rookie of the Year competition. Topic is also a perfect score.
In the first month (March-April) of the opening season of last season (2022), the performance of new players was not outstanding. KIA Tigers infielder Kim Do-young, who was expected to be the ‘second Lee Jong-beom’ and ranked first in batting average in demonstration games, played 22 games as a starting third baseman, but gave his place to Ryu Ji-hyeok with a batting average of 0.179. Along with him, pitcher Moon Dong-ju (Hanwha Eagles), who was regarded as the best prospect in his hometown (Gwangju), made his debut on May 10 due to an injury. Used rookies appeared where pure rookies did not shine, and Doosan Bears setup man Jeong Cheol-won became the winner.
This season, there are many new players who have caught the attention of baseball fans. The representative player is Hanwha Kim Seo-hyun (19). He was the pitcher who was nominated as the first overall pick in the rookie draft held 카지노사이트 in September last year. He did not make it to the opening entry in terms of actual game and mental management, but he fulfilled his mission by taking a relief mound against Doosan on the 19th of last month and striking out two in one inning. He left a strong impression by throwing fastballs of 157 ~ 9 km / h per hour. Although he conceded a run due to an error by a fielder and struggled, such as a fastball leading to a home run, Kim Seo-hyun’s pitching received great attention. As of the 5th, he recorded 3 earned runs in 7 innings in 6 games.
The Lotte Giants, which ranked first in March and April, also have a new engine. Kim Min-seok (19) is the main character. He is from Whimoon High School with Lee Jung-hoo, the current number one hitter in the league, and is expected to be the ‘second Lee Jung-hoo’ as he is recognized for his excellent contact and breaking ball skills.
Kim Min-seok recorded a batting average of 0.246 in 21 games he played this season. There are many fans who pay attention to his posture at the plate rather than his numbers. In the match against KIA on the 2nd, where Lotte won 9 consecutive victories, he also recorded his first 3 hits in his debut (based on one game). He plays the lead-off role in place of Seongbin Hwang, who is undergoing rehab due to a recent injury. The last rookie to be produced by Lotte is Jong-seok Yeom (current director of Dongeui Science University). It was 1992, 31 years ago. Kim Min-seok is expected as a player who will continue the genealogy.
Yun Young-cheol (19), who was nominated for the KIA as the second overall after Kim Seo-hyun, also adapted to the professional stage. From the first appearance of the demonstration game, he drew attention by striking out 7 strikeouts against Kiwoom’s lineup with Lee Jung-hoo, and confidently made the 5th starter, showing a similar move to Lee Eui-ri, who became the Rookie of the Year two years ago (2021). In his official debut against Kiwoom on the 15th of last month, he was sluggish with 5 runs in 3 and 2/3 innings, but on the 27th he recorded 5 scoreless innings against the NC Dinos, and in his most recent appearance against Lotte on the 3rd, he made a 10-game winning streak against the opponent. He made his debut with a good start (5 innings, 1 run) to put the brakes on. His speed is not fast, but his control and deception (movement of hiding the ball when pitching) are evaluated as excellent.
Park Myeong-geun (19), pitcher on the side of the LG Twins, also has a presence. He recorded 1 win, 2 holds, 1 save and an ERA of 3.86 in 13 appearances. The trajectory and movement of the ball at a speed of 150km/h give batter a sense of intimidation. In the meantime, the fact that LG has a lot of history of developing young pitchers as the main bullpen can work positively in the Rookie of the Year race.
At the present time, Moon Dong-ju (20, Hanwha) is slightly ahead of the three pure rookies in the Rookie of the Year race. He only digested 28 and 2/3 innings in the 2022 season, and satisfied the rookie king condition (within 5 years of joining and digesting less than 30 innings). He predicted a leap from spring camp this season, and on the 12th of last month, in a match against Chan-ho Park at the end of the first inning against KIA, he threw a four-seam fastball (fastball) at 160.1 km / h per hour, breaking a new record for the highest speed by a domestic pitcher. In the second half of 150km/h, the heavy fastball and the control of the breaking ball became more sophisticated. He played 5 or more innings in all 4 games he started this season and did not give up more than 5 runs. His record is 1 win 2 losses with an average ERA of 4.30.
Among the rookies, NC pitcher Lee Yong-jun (21) also emerged as a dark horse with solid pitching. As a prospect in the 2nd round of the 2021 2nd draft, he played 23 and 2/3 innings in 6 games he started this season with an ERA of 1.14. The foreign pitcher (Taylor Widener) who left before the opening day is filling the spot, threatening the position of the existing domestic starting pitchers.
Choi Ji-min (20), a reliever in his second year at the KIA, cannot be left out. In the 2022 season, the speed of the fast ball, which stopped at the beginning of the 140 km/h range, rose to 150 km/h. As of the 5th, he had an earned run average of 1.22 in 12 appearances. He also recorded his first hold in his debut. If he takes the position of setup man and builds up holds consistently, he will gain a competitive edge. 2019 rookie king Jung Woo-young (LG Twins) 2022 rookie king Jeong Cheol-won (Doosan) was the setup man.