Kim Seo-hyun of Hanwha Eagles was overwhelmed by pressure in the first half of the 2024 season. He joined Hanwha as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 KBO Rookie Draft, but he failed to stand out. He finished his debut season with one save and a 7.25 ERA in 20 games last year. He was no longer a rookie, and he wanted to do his part for his team.
However, Kim Seo-hyun, who was listed in the opening entry, was informed of her entry into the second division in less than a month. Her specialty was her speed and control of her ball. “I had a hard time from last year to the first half of this year,” Kim said at the Daejeon Stadium recently. “I couldn’t find what I prepared because of the pressure.”
Kim Seo-hyun had a lot on his mind. He thought too much. Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon noticed the agony of the young pitcher who just turned 20. “At your age, you should exercise, eat, sleep when you’re tired, and live a simple life,” Kim said. “You don’t have to think too much already.”
It was not just words of encouragement. Kim had an eye on Kim’s talent even before he took the helm of the Hanwha Eagles, and gave him an opportunity to boldly call up and stand on the mound in the first division. Yang Sang-moon, the new pitcher coach who joined the team in the second half of the year, also helped Kim recover his confidence.
“After eating with the coach, I felt much less pressure,” Kim Seo-hyun said. “It definitely made me feel at ease,” Kim said. “My coach always says, ‘Don’t put your head down.’ Thanks to that, I was able to forget it quickly even on the day when I threw poorly.”
Kim Seo-hyun has established himself as a must-winner for Hanwha in the second half of this season by using fastballs with speeds of up to 150 kilometers per hour and high-quality sliders. The final record in the 2024 season is one win, two losses and an earned run average of 3.76, in 37 games (38.1 innings). He is expected to play a must-win role in the 2025 season, and has displayed potential to grow as a closer.
Kim Seo-hyun has achieved meaningful records this year. He secured his first win since his debut and also made a double-digit hold as an intermediate pitcher. Kim Seo-hyun, who took the mound in the top of the seventh inning when his team was losing 1-4 against Lotte Giants in Daejeon on April 22, has been listed as a “victory pitcher” as his batters turned the tables in the bottom of the seventh inning. 먹튀검증
“I know winning in the middle is the hardest, so I remember the moment when I won my first victory,” he said with a smile. “I thought it would take several more years, not an exaggeration, but I felt good to do it quickly.”
On Kim Seo-hyun’s performance this season, Kim said, “We need to look higher than satisfactory.” Kim Seo-hyun also fully agreed with the coach’s opinion. “I don’t want to give any particular meaning to this year’s record because if I like it with this, I can stop here,” Kim said. “It’s too early to like it because I can set a better record while I’m playing baseball.”
Kim Seo-hyun does not look into the distant future. “Tomorrow” is important right now. “When I think about last year or the first half of this year, tomorrow seems to be the most important thing. I just think that I should do better tomorrow and do better tomorrow,” he said. “I will hang in there in the first team next year and become a player who will help my team whenever I need help.”
