Hanwha, which is currently leading the league with seven wins and two losses, is considered to have a brighter future than any other team. Notably, the "Young Gun Trio" is enough to win the envy of nine baseball teams. Moon Dong-ju (21), who has emerged as the next-generation ace in the Korean baseball league, left-hander Hwang Joon-seo (19), who joined the league as the top draft pick this year, and Kim Seo-hyun (20) who is a promising fireballer will brighten the future of the Hanwha mound.
Kim pitched in 20 games last year, but failed to achieve the desired result with one save and an earned run average of 7.25. He got off to a good start this year. As a relief pitcher at the match against KT in Daejeon on March 31, Kim successfully finished his first game of this season by allowing two perfect innings. He pitched only 16 pitches, and his fastballs and changeups around 150 kilometers were impressive.
Kim Seo-hyun, who took the mound in the top of the sixth inning when Hanwha led 11-1, caught leadoff hitter Mel Rojas Jr. with a flyout to left field and cooked Kang Baek-ho with a groundout to third base in three pitches. Then, he handled Moon Sang-chul with a flyout to shortstop on the first pitch, finishing the inning with a three-out. Kim Seo-hyun, who also took the mound in the top of the seventh inning, caught leadoff batter Kim Min-hyuk with a flyout to right field in two pitches, and Cho Yong-ho's ball led to a straight hit to the second baseman, while Kim Joon-tae was treated with a flyout to left field on the first pitch and blocked two innings perfectly.
Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho said, "Even though Kim Seo-hyun took the mound for the first time in a long time, he pitched fairly stable in his first appearance in the regular season. I was a little worried because I couldn't come out for more than 10 days, but I still managed to get on the first step well. I will try to put in a little bit of tightness from now on," in complimenting Kim's first appearance of the season.
Kim Seo-hyun was also satisfied with the results beyond expectations, saying, "Honestly, I didn't know how to do perfect, I didn't know how to throw only 16 balls, I didn't know how to control well, and I didn't know that my changeup would fall well."
Kim has displayed shaky ball control due to his inconsistent pitching form. His pitching dependence on strength was also a factor that hindered his control. Senior players couldn't hide their sorrow at the wandering of his junior teammates, who are highly talented. The most common story Kim heard from Hanwha seniors was, "Why don't you throw harder when you can reach 150 kilometers even if you throw lightly?" "I heard a lot from seniors why don't you throw lightly?" Kim said. "I feel more comfortable than last year as I started the season after thinking about it before starting the season."
BY: 토토