Will the KIA Tigers produce another rookie king?
In the 2023 season KIA pitcher entry, two candidates for the Rookie of the Year came to mind. The main characters are left-hander Yoon Young-cheol (19), who was nominated first in the 2023 rookie draft, and left-hander Choi Ji-min (20), who was nominated first in the 2022 second draft. Side by side, he is showing off his competitive pitch and is active as the main pitcher in the first team. I am interested in whether he will succeed Lee Eui-ri, the 2021 Rookie of the Year.
In the Daegu game against Samsung on the 17th, Yoon Young-cheol fought hard with 4 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts and no runs in 5⅓ innings, winning his 2nd win (1 loss) of the season. He won the most innings in the season with his unique knife control and breaking ball. Now, he is showing stamina enough to go 6 innings. The team is blessed with 4 wins in 6 games played.
His highest speed was 141 km, but his average speed was in the late 130 km range. His deception action is good, and his changeup and slider dripping from the hitter’s swing point are sharp. He is fully demonstrating his four-pitch ability, throwing even a curveball at times. He is putting forth a strong challenge to the rookie of the year, expecting that his power will increase as his speed increases.
On this day, relief pitcher Choi Ji-min protected Yoon Young-cheol’s victory. Finisher Jeong Hae-young faltered in the bottom of the 9th inning, giving up 3 runs and being chased by 7-6. The day before, he saved Sean Anderson and blocked 1⅓ scoreless innings to win his first win, and the next day he even made his first save.
Choi Ji-min went through a metamorphosis in his second year. His average speed, which was only in the late 130 km range, rose to the mid-140 km range this year, and he took a maximum of 150 km. He has a changeup and slider based on his powerful fastball. From last year’s ERA of 13.50 in 6 games, this year, he is a salty pitcher with an ERA of 1.35 in 16 games. As a second-hand rookie, he was proudly nominated for the Rookie of the Year award. 먹튀검증
In this year’s KBO League, rookie pitchers are competing fiercely for the Rookie of the Year award. Including Yoon Young-cheol, pure rookies such as SSG Song Young-jin (3 wins, undefeated ERA 3.95), Hanwha Kim Seo-hyun (11 matches, 1 save, ERA 2.25), and LG Park Myung-geun (17 matches, 1 win, 2 saves, 4 holds, ERA 2.25) are making a big success. As rookies with talent appear, they are giving a big boost to the league.
In addition, the 161km Hanwha Mun Dong-ju (2 wins and 4 losses, ERA 4.20), Doosan Kim Dong-ju (2 wins and 1 loss, ERA 1.44), LG Kang Hyo-jong (1 wins and 1 loss, ERA 5.40) and Choi Ji-min are also showing outstanding performances. He is also expected to become a leading pitcher in the future. In the KBO League, if you have accumulated 30 innings (60 at-bats for batters) within 5 years of joining, you are eligible for the Rookie of the Year. /