Kim pitched 37 innings and posted an ERA of 1.46 out of 11 games this season. He is a pitcher with good capabilities, as he even won the Outstanding Pitcher Award at the weekend league.
When asked about the situation at the time of the draft, Kim Hyun-woo said, “Honestly, I didn’t expect that I would be called in the third round,” adding, “I couldn’t see the draft event because I was nervous, but as soon as I heard the news of Lotte’s nomination, I was embarrassed and I think it was so good.”
At the time of his nomination, the Lotte Giants scouting team identified Kim as a fastball player. Players who are often called “throwing fastballs” often deal with opposing batters by banking on their excellent fastballs. Oh Seung-hwan of the Samsung Lions is representative, while Park Young-hyun of the KT Wiz and Kim Taek-yeon of the Doosan Bears are also outmaneuvering opposing batters by banking on their fastballs. Choi Jun-yong has been dealing with batters with excellent fastball, but has slowed down a bit recently after his injury. Against this backdrop, Lotte Giants fans will be welcomed to join the team as a rookie who is considered to throw fastball. 안전놀이터
When asked about the secret of his “fastball,” Kim Hyun-woo explained, “I usually go up to the mound with confidence and pitch aggressively, but I think a good fastball came out of that.” Asked what position he wanted to throw in, he replied, “I want to experience starting, middle and finishing, but I want to throw as an intermediate pitcher and find clothes that fit me.”
During the rookie day event held at Sajik Baseball Stadium last month, veteran Koo Seung-min’s selection of Kim Hyun-woo as his pick was also released on the club’s YouTube channel. Asked about this, Kim Hyun-woo said, “I’ve watched that scene a lot,” adding, “I’m so honored that you picked me, and I’ll be next to Koo Seung-min.”
The presence of pitchers who attack batters with strong pitching arouses enthusiasm from fans. We cannot expect quick results from players who have just started their professional careers. However, if Kim Hyun-woo’s ambition to “work really hard and become a pitcher like a guardian who guarantees Lotte’s victory” is realized at the end of the interview, Lotte may soon have a pitching pitcher that it hoped for.
More details of the interview with Lotte Giants rookie pitcher Kim Hyun-woo can be found in the video above or on the YouTube channel of the international newspaper.
