The 2024 KBO season has been filled with high-profile high school pitching prospects.

In spring training and exhibition games, Kim Taek-yeon of the Doosan Bears dominated. He surprised everyone with his incredible fastball. It was said that he could be a closer right away. Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop, whose arm bends inward, proclaimed “Kim Taek-yeon is the rookie king” at the media day.

But once the season started, Kim struggled to handle the nerves of the big leagues.

Then came Hwang Jun-seo of the Hanwha Eagles, the No. 1 overall pick in the rookie draft. After starting the season in the second team, Hwang Jun-seo was given the opportunity to start against the KT Wiz on March 31 due to Kim Min-woo’s sudden bout with gallbladder symptoms, and he earned the win in his debut, marking the birth of a new star.카지노사이트 Although he doesn’t have a spot in the starting lineup right now, he pitched successfully out of the bullpen against the Kiwoom Heroes on June 6 to improve his chances of survival in the first team.

While these two are in the spotlight, there is another rookie pitcher who has been quietly sharpening his knife. This is Kiwoom left-hander Son Hyun-ki. He was a second-round draft pick out of Chonju National University. He’s a left-hander who throws a fastball that’s close to 150 kilometers. His fastball is considered one of the best in his age group. He is tall at 1.88 meters and has a smooth throwing form, so if he can get a bit of control, he has the potential to grow into a big left-hander.

Kiwoom manager Hong Won-ki recognized Son’s talent early on and gave him a chance in spring training and exhibition games. Naturally, he made the opening roster, and he’s been on a roll with a 1.50 ERA in three games and six innings pitched.

He pitched four innings against the NC Dinos on March 27th.

It was partly due to the early collapse of starter Kim Sun-ki, but Hong had been cautiously preparing for Son’s transition since then. The team didn’t have a fifth starter, and if he pitched well, he should be the starter.

His name kept appearing on the roster, but he was not on the internal roster against the Hanwha Eagles on the 6th and 7th. When asked if there was a reason for this, head coach Hong Won-ki said, “Son Hyun-ki will start against SSG Landers next week.” Kiwoom travels to Incheon for a three-game midweek series. In the first game on the 9th, Son Hyun-ki will start.

In fact, Son has been at the center of controversy before: against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Seoul Series, when Hong used him as the second pitcher after starter Ariel Herrado. The 19-year-old pitcher was nervous about facing the star players he had only seen on TV in a game with the world watching. Hong kept the struggling pitcher on the mound to give him experience. 메이저 토토사이트 It was a shocking story and result, but Son fought through the pain and has been showing promise since the start of the season.

A chance to make his first professional start. There’s no reason not to pitch like Hwang Jun-seo. With a seven-game winning streak, Kiwoom has gone from a bottom-feeder to a dark horse in the rankings. If Son Hyun-ki can get his act together, he will gain even more momentum.