The 201-hit second baseman is also an unfinished left-hander.
The Kia Tigers offense is likely to be one of the most potent in the league this season, along with the LG Twins. While the offense has been lackluster in exhibition games, it’s likely to pick up as the regular season begins. Even if it’s not working out right now, this is not a lineup to be taken lightly in the pitching circle.
You only have to look at the Jamsil Doosan Bears on Friday to see why the Kia batting lineup is so strong. Kim Seok-hwan, who has been called the “next Lee Seung-yeop,” came in as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning. Seo Gun-chang, the last batter of the ninth inning, was also not a starter. Go Jong-wook, Lee Chang-jin, and other powerful pinch-hitters. That’s a solid lineup.
But in the final moments of the game, it was Doosan’s Lee, not Kia, who was the hero. Kim Taek-yeon (19), who was drafted by the Doosan Bears with the second overall pick in the 2024 rookie draft after graduating from Incheon High School. One of the reasons why Doosan is expected to be strong this season is the presence of Kim, who is sure to have potential in his first season.
Kim has already garnered attention for his gutsy play against Japanese professional baseball clubs. One of the highlights of the game was when he turned the SoftBank Hawks’ leading hitter and three-time home run champion Hotawa Yamataka into a foul fly to the catcher. It was a hard hit.
That’s why Yang said he was the next Oh Seung-hwan. Kim throws 150 kilometers, but hitters feel more than that. The rotation is much different than a normal 150-kilometer pitcher. If you look at his pitches in exhibition games, they”re quite good. Along with Hwang Jun-seo (Hanwha Eagles), he is a strong rookie.
However, Kim earned a tough save with a one-run lead against KIA. He got leadoff hitter Park Jung-woo to ground out to second base with a 148-149 mph 스포츠토토 fastball and induced Kim Seok-hwan to fly out to left field with another 148-149 mph fastball. Seo struck out Gun-chang Seo on a 148 mph fastball for a groundout.
He threw 12 pitches. Eleven of them were fastballs. He went toe-to-toe, he didn’t run, he overpowered the hitters, and he got the save. As Yang said, it was almost like Seung-hwan Oh in his prime. His second save in an exhibition game.
Lee hasn’t yet declared Kim the closer for the season, but given the two saves he’s had, he’s a strong candidate. It’s clear that he has the potential to shake up the league beyond Dusan.