KIA’s 5th selection competition is developing so fiercely that it is impossible to foresee the future. Will Yoon Young-chul, the second overall pick in the rookie draft, get a chance?

KIA coach Kim Jong-guk compressed and induced competition with sidearm Lim Ki-young, 2019 first-nomination left-hander Kim Ki-hoon, and top-class rookie Yoon Young-cheol as the 5 starting candidates from Tucson, Arizona spring camp. Coach Kim Jong-guk smiled at the Tucson camp and said, “It will be decided in the middle of the demonstration game. For now, I will continue to watch.”

The weather in Tucson wasn’t too good. Rain, snow and cold plagued the KIA members to the extent that they could not fully digest the scheduled practice game. This is why the national team, which trained in the same place, is worried about pitchers who are sensitive to changes in the environment. KIA pitchers should also see the appearance they show in the Okinawa practice game as their ‘real’ condition.

The Hanwha exhibition was canceled on the 28th of last month. KIA played against Samsung on the 1st, against Lotte on the 3rd, and against Samsung on the 5th. It is a schedule to return to Gwangju on the 9th after completing the practice game schedule with the match against Hanwha on the 7th. The 5 starting candidates tested their competitiveness by making selections or relief mounds in the last 3 games.

The most notable is, of course, Yoon Young-cheol. He took the mound as the third pitcher against Samsung on the 1st, giving up 1 hit and no runs in 2 innings. In Tucson, he garnered a lot of attention with his aggressive pitching against the national team’s central batters, and it was the same on this day. In the 6th inning, Koo Ja-wook, Lee Won-seok and Oh Jae-il lined up the center batting line well with an infield grounder and catcher foul fly.

What is interesting is that Yoon Young-cheol’s highest speed on that day was only 135 km. He mixed the 111km curve, slider, and changeup, but the proportion of four-seam was overwhelming. He himself said at the time of the Tucson interview, “I am not interested in speed.” It is his will to overcome the wall of the professional 1st team with his command, command, and game management ability in his own style.

In the case of spring camp practice games, the batter’s condition is not 100%. The signboards of each team thoroughly raise their condition in line with the opening of the regular season. At this point, the possibility of Yun Young-cheol entering as a regular member of the first team is quite high. Yoon Young-cheol can also get more speed in the regular season. It remains to be seen whether he can survive in the first team with a mid-to-late 130km ball, and whether he will advance to the 5th starter or succeed as a 5th starter. It can be seen that practical expectations and evaluations are projected in director Kim’s judgment and decisions.

There are also Lim Ki-young and Kim Ki-hoon in the competition for the 5th selection. Lim Ki-young started the game against Lotte on the 3rd and pitched well with 2 hits and no runs in 2 innings. He was so clean with just 24 pitches. He mixed a two-seam, slider, and changeup with a four-seam best of 134 km. As a sidearm capable of both starting and midfielding, he is in a position to prepare for the season by paying more attention to commands.스포츠토토

Kim Ki-hoon tasted the bitter taste. He took the mound as the second pitcher against Samsung on the 5th, and was shaken with 2 hits, 2 hits and 3 runs in 2 innings. He corrected his pitching mechanic in Sangmu a year ago, and after being discharged, he seemed to be establishing himself by playing a big role in the first-team bullpen. In an interview at the time of temporary entry into Incheon Airport, he said that he put a lot of effort into maintaining the new mechanic. However, his first match was not good.

KIA has confirmed the 1st to 4th selections leading to Sean Anderson, Adonis Medina, Yang Hyeon-jong, and Lee Eui-ri. It is expected that the 5th starting star will eventually be covered in the demonstration game.