The image Lotte Giants expected is finally appearing. I did not neglect supplementary classes every day. Is Kim Jin-wook (21) now showing his full potential?
Kim Jin-wook took the mound as the team’s second pitcher in the match against the KIA Tigers held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 20th and pitched 3 innings, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk and no runs. The pitch was perfect enough to receive a standing ovation from the crowd, and it certainly contributed to the team’s 5-3 come-from-behind victory.
Kim Jin-wook saved starter Dan Strayley at first base safely in the top of the 4th inning when he was leading 4-3 that day. The coaching staff judged that Strayley’s condition was not very good, and as soon as he was hit by lead batter Ko Jong-wook in the 4th inning, the coaching staff gave Stray Lee a hard hit.
After that, Kim Jin-wook came up. It was the beginning of the heroic Tansan. He struck out 4 from 1 out in the 4th inning to the 6th inning and deleted the inning with perfection. I tried to leave the bench up to the 7th inning to Kim Jin-wook, who had a high spirits. However, he came down the mound after giving up a walk to lead batter Byeon Woo-hyuk in the 7th inning, but it was a perfect pitch enough to earn applause. With this, Kim Jin-wook continued his perfect pitch with zero ERA in six games this year.
It was Kim Jin-wook, who was nominated as the 1st overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2021 rookie draft. A top-notch left-handed ace who made Gangneung High School the best in high school. Since he was not a candidate for the 1st nomination, Kim Jin-wook was so sure to be nominated as the 1st overall pick in the 2nd 1st round.
Kim Jin-wook’s super high school level pitching was also recognized by the pros. Being included in the starting lineup for the opening season of his debut season gave him a chance to show off his potential, but he failed. However, after that, he took a little zero point in the bullpen and showed off his pitch. He was also selected for the Tokyo Olympic team held during the 2021 season. The season record was 4 wins, 6 losses, 8 holds, 6.31 ERA in 39 matches. He confirmed his pitching, striking out 45 in 45⅔ innings, but gave up 49 walks.
2022 was the same. He rather regressed. He went 2-5 with an ERA of 6.36 in 14 games. He struck out 52 in 46⅔ innings, but also walked 35. He couldn’t get a zero point and wandered for a long time.
Throughout the winter, the entire club, starting with coach Bae Young-soo, put their heads together to get Kim Jin-wook’s control. He even went to the Australian professional baseball Geelong Korea dispatch. At the spring camp in Guam, I took supplementary classes every day with coaches Kang Young-sik and Kim Hyun-wook. This supplementary class continues even after entering the regular season. Kim Jin-wook silently followed this. Kim Jin-wook is the last player to return to the locker room after training with coach Kim Hyun-wook at Sajik Stadium before the game.
Kim Jin-wook said, “The technical and mental aspects have all changed. While talking a lot with coach Kim Hyun-wook, I continue to practice how to use the lower body and move the center of gravity. I tried to reduce the instability from last fall’s finish camp, and it seems to get stuck in my body. “I get a lot of stress when the ball goes in, but I just try to always throw with confidence rather than stress,” he emphasized.
“I don’t care about speed at all anymore. My coach said, ‘You can improve your speed if you improve your technique a little more. Then you can speed up more easily’, so I don’t care about speed anymore.” said forcefully. He emphasized that strikes, control, and confidence are more important than velocity.
There was another opportunity.메이저놀이터 It was the Incheon SSG game on the 4th. Kim Jin-wook, who climbed the mound in the 7th inning, trailing 1-3 at the time, gave up 3 walks and brought the bases loaded with 1 out. Afterwards, as the game ended with a heavy cold game, Kim Jin-wook was revived. He took this as his teacher on the other hand. He explained, “At the time, the Incheon match was a trigger. I thought a lot about how to go in a better direction and throw a better ball. It was a really good opportunity.”
Everyone in the club, as well as Kim Jin-wook, hopes that the current momentum will continue. He is slowly returning as Kim Jin-wook, the ‘Gangneung High School left-hander’ that Lotte expected. Will Kim Jin-wook be able to make this season a clear momentum for growth and leap forward?