Hanwha Eagles hard-throwing pitcher Seo-hyun Kim, 19, has been taking bullpen lessons recently.
Kim joined Hanwha as the first overall pick in the first round of the 2023 KBO League Rookie Draft. At the beginning of the season, he was mainly used as a bullpen pitcher, but recently, he has started more games as a starter. This started on the 15th of last month against the Lotte Giants in the Futures League. In his first start against Lotte, he threw 38 pitches in two innings, then 74 pitches in 3⅓ innings against the Doosan Bears on the 25th, and most recently 97 pitches in 5⅔ innings against the Goyang Heroes on the 6th.
바카라사이트Hanwha is currently developing Kim Seo-hyun as a starting pitcher. The increase in innings and pitches does not indicate that this is a one-off start. He is in the process of improving his physical condition through starting classes.
Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho revealed his plans to develop Kim Seo-hyun. Byun Hye-mi Reporter
Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho explained his plans for Kim Seo-hyun during the managerial briefing before the All-Star break. “I personally think that top prospects should start as starting pitchers. If they start as a starter, they have a much better chance of success even if they switch to the bullpen. If you start in the bullpen, you don’t have that experience,” he explained.
“The main thing is crunch time. Bullpen pitchers don’t experience crunch time. How can you ask them to keep pitching in a crisis (late in the game), but if you start, you can gain experience in dealing with hitters in such a crisis,” he added.
Kim Seo-hyun has a strong physique. Byun Hye-mi Reporter
Kim Seo-hyun, now in his first year as a professional, has a healthy body, which was also one of the criteria for classifying him as a starter. Kim is 188 centimetres tall, 86 kilograms, and can throw a fastball in the mid-to-high 150 kilometres per hour. Choi believes it would be beneficial for the young pitcher to get a taste of the game first.
“One of the prerequisites for a starter is a healthy body, so it’s ideal to have a younger player in the lineup,” Choi said. Strength peaks in the mid-20s, and pitchers with good command of their pitches and the ability to throw strikes from their early 20s have the best chance of success. That’s why we set the starting lineup for the Futures League with young pitchers like Nam Ji-min and Park Jun-young, except for veteran Jang Min-jae.”
Kim Seo-hyun has pitched all 18 games for the first team this season, posting a 5.60 ERA in 17⅔ innings out of the bullpen. He’s been making some unfamiliar starts lately, but the variety of experiences he’s gaining will only help him improve. He has shown promise with his powerful pitches, and we look forward to seeing how much more he can improve with starting experience.
Kim Seo-hyun is looking forward to seeing how much more he can grow with his starting experience. ⓒKyung Hye-mi Reporter