KIA’s unlucky man is expected to be engulfed in a whirlwind of competition from the start this season.
KIA sidearm Lim Ki-young (30) has also been steadily running as a starting pitcher since 2017, when he was a combined championship season. He has never won 10 wins in a season. However, he has improved his competitiveness by breaking away from the monotonous pitching pattern of fastball and changeup and mixing two-seam and curveball. Over the past few years, there has been no 4th or 5th starter in the KIA that has been as consistent as Lim Ki-young.
For Lim Ki-young, 2022 was not a pleasant season. He went 4-13 with 1 save and an earned run average of 4.24 in 26 games. He was the league’s most losing pitcher. However, Lim Ki-young did not collapse so greatly that he established a quality start in 10 out of 26 games.
He had an excellent 2.94 earned run average in games with 10 quality starts. However, in those 10 matches, it was only 1 win and 4 losses. Although he won three games with the help of his batting line in games where he did not make a quality start. Even so, the win rate of the games that established the quality start was too low.
It is true that the value of a pitcher’s victory is not what it used to be. However, a starter win is still considered a meaningful medal for a starting pitcher. This is because even if the pitching content is not good, becoming a winning pitcher gives a change of mood, and it is not uncommon for a pitcher to show good pitching content with momentum. In that regard, there were many cases where Lim Ki-young was uniquely off-beat with other players.
However, there are signs that this season will be more difficult for Lim Ki-young than last year. This is because you may not be guaranteed a spot as a starting pitcher. This year’s KIA selection team consists of native ace Yang Hyeon-jong and new foreign duo Sean Anderson and Adonis Madina from 1 to 3. Lee Eui-ri, who has been in his third year, should now be considered a solid man.
It seemed that the remaining seat would be for Lim Ki-young, but Yun Young-cheol, a top-notch rookie who will graduate from Chungam High School, challenges the starting lineup competition. Yoon Young-cheol is a top-class prospect that KIA is determined to nurture. He is also the only rookie to participate in Arizona’s camp. There are also evaluations that his ability to manage the game and the ability to use breaking balls are already not at the level of a rookie.
He was the ace who led the golden season of Chungam High School in the 2022 season, and stumped the legendary retired hitters of Monsters, led by coach Seo Lee Seung-yeop of JTBC’s entertainment program Strongest Baseball. Coach Lee Seung-yeop and Park Yong-taek and other key hitters of the Monsters were not able to attack Yoon Young-cheol clearly, not once or twice, but three times. Of course, entertainment programs, amateur stages, and pros are completely different. However, it is certain that Yoon Young-cheol’s cotyledon is unique. 메이저놀이터
In addition, 2019 1st nomination Kim Ki-hoon also joins the competition for starting positions. He consistently played as a starting pitcher in Sangmu, and when he returned at the end of the 2022 season, he performed well with the left-handed bullpen. Aside from other candidates, Ki-Hoon Kim and Young-Cheol Yoon are formidable competitors for Ki-Young Lim.
There is no law that says Giyoung Lim will give up his seat unconditionally. In terms of experience as a starting pitcher, he is one step ahead of Kim Ki-hoon and Yoon Young-cheol. However, the speciality of the sidearm and the possibility of midfielder are rather the parts that increase director Kim Jong-guk’s options. There are signs that the structure of the KIA starting lineup this season will improve. However, tough competition awaits Lim Ki-young, who is trying to win 10 starts for the first time in his career. For some, sleepless nights in Arizona may be waiting.