Kim Min (25, KT Wiz) is finally challenging the new history of the KBO League, breaking the eggs of “a full-year prospect.”
Kim has taken the mound in 62 games this season, recording eight wins, two losses and 19 holds with an ERA of 3.71 (as of Tuesday). He contributes the most to the team. He kept the mound with Park Young-hyun (10 wins, two losses and 22 saves) after the first half when the starting lineup collapsed.
As he has kept out long innings by making up for the poor performance of starting pitchers, he has accumulated relief wins. Kim already has eight wins and 20 holds are also within reach. If Kim wins 10 games, he will surpass Lee Jae-woo (2008) and Ahn Ji-man (2011), who recorded the most holds (17 out of 10 pitchers). Furthermore, he will be able to achieve 10 wins and 20 holds for the first time in his career.
Kim Min was a big prospect who joined as a first-round pick in 2018. He was considered the best prospect of pitchers along with Ahn Woo-jin and Kwak Bin during his time as a rookie, but he had a long stagnation period after joining the professional league. Until last year, there were only 14 wins, 19 losses, and 3 holds. He had a fastball of up to 150km/h, but he couldn’t overcome the first-team hitters.
The secret to his change this year is his two-seam fastball. Kim will face off batters with 148.1km/h of pitching average (50.4 percent). “I used to be proud of myself as a pitcher who throws fast balls over 150km/h. However, I decided to change my repertoire last year,” Kim told this newspaper. “If I do not succeed this year, I will not be able to succeed (as a player).” 먹튀검증
His batting average at two-seam is as high as 0.339. Instead, his slider (pitching average of 43.4 percent) has strong power (pitching average of 0.179). “Sliders have a big fall,” KT manager Lee Kang-chul said. “They also look like high-speed slobs (sliders + curves).” “When catching a strikeout and a strike, I pitch differently depending on the purpose. I throw a fast slider with an average speed of 132 kilometers per hour and a 138 kilometers per hour cuter that falls fast.”
Kim’s goal is to join the national team at the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12, which will be held in November this year. The Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) will form a 60-man entry on the 10th, followed by a final (28-man) entry on October 10.
Since his debut, Kim has thrown the most (70 1/3 innings in 62 games) this season. “All my teammates have advanced to the national team except for me. I have greed, too. If I’m a baseball player, I want to go (in the international arena),” Kim said. “I don’t want to take a rest after the season just because I threw a lot this season. It’s an honor to throw for my country.”
