“I don’t think I have faith in him yet.”
That’s what Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung said in late April when asked about left-handed pitching prospect Kim Jin-wook (22), who he believes should be utilized as a starter. Entering his fourth year with the team after being drafted in the first round of the 2021 rookie draft, Kim failed to realize his full potential and failed to catch the eye of new manager Kim Tae-hyung. “I think too much. I’m in a hurry. Trying to do things too perfectly.” However, Kim Jin-wook still wandered.
For now, Kim Tae-hyung has limited his utilization to the starting lineup. No more position changes are expected. He had been bouncing between the starting rotation and the bullpen, unable to settle into one position. This year, however, Kim was given the opportunity to rotate consistently in the starting rotation with the second team.
It was a roller coaster in the first four games.
On March 26, he pitched a no-hitter with three innings of two-hit, four-strikeout ball against the NC, but on April 5, he gave up seven runs on eight hits (two homers), two walks, one hit batsman, and one strikeout in four innings against Samsung Electronics. In his start against Doosan on April 11, he pitched 5 innings with 3 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, and no runs, but on April 18, he had another disappointing outing against KT with 4⅓ innings with 6 hits, 4 walks, 1 strikeout, and 3 runs. 안전놀이터 However, after about a month of readjustment, Kim has been pitching consistently since May. He has surprised everyone with his smooth and relaxed pitching style and content, rather than his powerful and wild mid-to-high 140-kilometer fastball.
On the 9th, he pitched a no-hitter with 4 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks, and no strikeouts against KT, and on the 14th, he pitched 5 innings, 4 hits, 5 walks, and no runs against NC. It was a four-hitter. He also raised his pitch count to 81. On the 19th, he pitched five innings of two-hit ball with nine strikeouts and no walks against Hanwha.
In his last three games, he has gone 14 innings without allowing an earned run while walking just one. In his last two games, he’s gone five or more innings without allowing a walk, which is encouraging for a pitcher who has struggled with his command. His strikeouts have come naturally as he’s been able to get strikes on his pitches. In 14 innings, he struck out 16 batters.
Lee In-bok, who started the season as one of Lotte’s five starters,
He is now out of the first-team roster after going 2-2 with a 7.00 ERA in six games without a win. His struggles have been exacerbated by the number of games in which he has allowed runs. Fourth starter Na Gyun-an has also been disappointing this year with a 7.13 ERA in nine games. His ERA in May was a whopping 12.71.
The new starting staff had to be tested. First, Lee In-bok was dropped from the first team roster after his last appearance against Kiwoom on March 30, and since then, the players who have been rotating through the starting rotation in the second team have been given their turn.
The first player to get his chance was left-hander Hong Min-ki, a 2020 first-rounder who was selected in the same draft as Kim Jin-wook. After proving himself with a 1.59 ERA in six games (22⅔ innings pitched) in the second team, Hong was given the opportunity to make his first first-team start on Dec. 12. The results were less than satisfactory. He left the mound after 2⅔ innings, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks with one strikeout. With a fastball that topped out at 149 mph and a two-seam curveball, Hong struggled against a formidable LG lineup, but the defense didn’t help him in his first start.
Hong was promptly removed from the first team roster the next day.
The second player to earn a spot in the five-man squad was right-handed fireballer Lee Min-seok. The 2022 first-round pick was expected to take over the closer role last year after coming out of the bullpen in his rookie season. However, he suffered an elbow injury in the opening game of the season and underwent ligament splicing surgery and bone chip removal. He rehabbed well and has been in the starting rotation with the second team since his return, as the organization looks to develop him as a starter. In his first five games back, he didn’t score a run and didn’t easily regain his feel for the game. His record was naturally poor.
However, as he gradually improved his feel for the game and his pitches, Lee realized his potential as a starting pitcher. He started with a no-hitter against Samsung Electronics on April 26, pitching four innings of one-hit ball with four strikeouts and no walks, followed by a four-hitter against KIA on May 3 with one hit, three walks and six strikeouts, and finished with a five-inning no-hitter against KT on May 9 with two hits, one walk and six strikeouts.He made his first-team debut on April 19 against Doosan in Jamsil. Lee Min-seok was also sent down early. In 3⅓ innings, he allowed two runs on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts. 슬롯 보증 사이트 After giving up a single to Yang Ji-hyeon in the fourth inning, he signaled that something was wrong. He bruised his finger and had to leave the mound early for protection. However, his fastball, which topped out at 154 mph, gave him more promise for the future. For now, Lee Min-seok is back on the disabled list to recover from his finger injury.
After Hong Ming-ki and Lee Min-seok, who will be the next pitcher to get the fifth spot?
For now, it’s likely to be Kim Jin-wook. The pitching order is also a perfect fit. On the 19th, Lee Min-seok and Kim Jin-wook started side-by-side in the first and second teams, and with Lee Min-seok’s absence, the starting pitching spot for the 25th was vacant. We can naturally expect Kim to start in this spot with five days of rest. Will Kim’s recent performance earn him the trust of manager Kim Tae-hyung again, and will he get his first start of the year?
