Former national catcher Kang Min-ho (Samsung) picked three pitchers who are likely to dominate the KBO League. They include Moon Dong-joo of the Hanwha Eagles, Park Young-hyun of the KT, and Won Tae-in of the Samsung Lions.
In his second year, Moon won the Rookie of the Year title with eight wins and eight losses with a 3.72 ERA in 23 games this season. Notably, he played as an ace for the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) team, contributing to elevating the status of Korean baseball. 메이저 토토사이트
Park Young-hyun reminds us of the heyday of Oh Seung-hwan (Samsung), the leader of the final round. He garnered 32 holds by banking on his fastball of 150 kilometers to rank No. 1 in this category. Kim Jae-yoon, who had been the back door of KT until this season, is expected to take on the heavy responsibility of firefighting as he moves to Samsung.
Won has achieved double-digit wins for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022, and has been recognized for his ability in various international competitions, including the Tokyo Olympics, the 5th World Baseball Classic (WBC), the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC).
Appearing on “Kim Tae-kyun [TK52],” a YouTube channel run by KBSN sports commentator Kim Tae-kyun, Kang said he picked Moon Dong-joo, Park Young-hyun and Won Tae-in when asked who would win the KBO League. “Moon is scary. I love his pitching. I think he will improve enough to narrow the Korean stage in the future,” he said.
“If Moon throws like this even at a young age, he will show tremendous performance later on,” he said. “I heard he is very sincere. He only knows baseball. When Moon comes to an away game in Busan, he comes to my rehabilitation center and takes care of himself. He said he will be a good player.”
Regarding Won Tae-in, Kang Min-ho said, “He is very thorough in self-management. After starting the game, the routine is set until the next time he throws it. Everything he has to do, whether it’s home or away, is set until the end of the year.”
Kang Min-ho said that foreign pitcher David Buchanan’s thorough self-management had a positive impact on Won Tae-in. “I heard that he followed Buchanan’s training routine because he thought he was not improving when he could go one step further on his own. Then, his skills improved significantly,” he said. “I don’t think Tae-in has grown secondary yet. He will take a step up from here.”
Meanwhile, Kang gave high marks to right-handed Yuk Seon-yeop, who was drafted in the first round at Samsung’s 2024 Rookie Draft. “I think he will do well. He has no sense of humor. When new players came to greet me, I saw them say, ‘Hello, senior,’ and I realized that they had courage. I want to go to the spring camp and get some pitching,” he said.