“I chose to gamble. It was a win-win.”
A youthful wind blows on the professional baseball KIA mound. Yoon Young-chul, already mentioned as a candidate for the rookie of the year, and Choi Ji-min, who wore the Taegeuk mark for the first time in his life, are representative icons. There is a hidden card to follow. It is Kwak Do-gyu (19), a left-hander who came out of Gongju High School and was selected by KIA in the 5th round of the 2023 rookie draft.
Although he is a high school graduate, his pitching from the mound is exceptional. The dynamic pitching form stands out. He is a rare left-handed three quarterer with an unusual form that is almost sidearm. Still, he throws a powerful fastball. On the 31st of last month, at the KT game in Gwangju, the arrest recorded on the electronic board approached 152 km.
It hasn’t been long since he’s got his form now. Kwak Do-gyu said, “I saw several articles and they all said differently. The point at which the overthrow was changed (to the current form) was exactly two months before the draft,” he said. He explained that the rotation that moves left and right is stronger than up and down, so he asked me to lower the arm angle to make use of it.”
It wasn’t easy to make a decision ahead of the draft, where the future depended. “Even when I was overthrown, I got scouts’ attention, but as the draft approached, the balance got worse. He said, “I was psychologically anxious because there could be problems with both pro nomination and college admission.” he was a winner He didn’t forget to thank his teacher, saying, “Because he got along really well with the coach, I made up my mind to trust him and give it a go.”
At the same time, the speed increased dramatically and the balance was well matched. He said, “It was a form that felt like I was wearing my clothes, feeling the comfort of playing baseball in the neighborhood for the first time in years. He originally had a lot of thoughts and stress when throwing the ball, but with the change, he gained confidence in the ball and gained confidence,” he said.
There is a risk of not being able to speak. He said, “I am worried that it will harden into an image with arms lowered due to being pushed out of the competition. He said, “I didn’t try to get something special, I just found a comfortable place to throw the ball.”메이저사이트
The mentality that is not like a rookie is also noticeable. KIA coach Kim Jong-guk also said, “It is not a style to be discouraged. He was evaluated as a pitcher who knows how to fight batters.” Kwak Do-gyu said, “When he was young, he didn’t fight the batter, he often self-destructed while fighting himself. He realized how bad it was when he became a pro. More than anything, feeling the support from the fans at the stadium gave me courage. That’s how his personality seems to have changed,” he said with a bright smile.
Lastly, when asked what kind of player he wants to be in the future, he raised his voice, saying, “I want to become a pitcher who stays in the first team for a long time, feels relieved when going on the mound, and makes positive calculations to the coach.”