Hanwha realized its potential last year when fireballer prospect Moon Dong-ju, 21, settled into the starting lineup. He became the first Korean pitcher to throw an official 160-kilometer fastball and won the Rookie of the Year award overcoming an innings-limiting handicap. It was the first time in 17 years since Ryu Hyun-jin in 2006 that Hanwha had a rookie of the year.
This year, Hanwha is aiming to become the first club to produce a rookie champion for two consecutive years. The team is looking forward to exploding the potential of the Young Gun duo, who were the No. 1 overall picks in the rookie draft for the second consecutive year. Second-year right-hander Kim Seo-hyun, 20, and rookie left-hander Hwang Jun-seo, 19, 바카라사이트 are expected to be strong contenders for the rookie title.
Kim, who pitched just 22⅓ innings in the first team last year
Retained his rookie status (within five years of joining the organization and accumulating 30 innings or less) despite being in his second year. Moon Dong-ju joined the team in 2022, but finished the season with 28⅔ innings in the first team in his first year, making him eligible for rookie status in 2023.
Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho has had his eye on Kim Seo-hyun and Hwang Jun-seo since last year’s final camp in Miyazaki, Japan. He held a club-wide workshop to discuss in-depth how to utilize the two players. Ahead of the spring camp in Melbourne, Australia, which is scheduled to depart on the 30th, a two-track customized development plan was made. Hwang Jun-seo will be the starter and Kim Seo-hyun will be in the bullpen.
Choi said of Hwang
“I saw him in the final camp, and his pitching motion is as stable as what I heard around him, and he has a good ball tip. He throws mostly forkballs and curveballs as his changeup, but it looks good. I think he can definitely compete for the starting job. We’re going to take him to camp and try to get him to compete for the starting job before the exhibition games.” Hanwha has Felix Peña, Ricardo Sanchez, and Moon Dong-joo as its three confirmed starters, with Lee Tae-yang, Kim Min-woo, Kim Ki-jung, and Hwang Jun-seo competing for the fourth and fifth spots.
Hwang Jun-seo, who showed promise early enough to be called up to the youth national team as a sophomore at Jang Chung-go, is a 6-foot-3 left-hander with a solid delivery, balance, and a good mix of fastballs and changeups. He doesn’t “ball” when he gets hit, and his ability to throw his changeup in unfavorable counts is highly regarded. Last spring, he increased his fastball to 150 kilometers per hour.
With a systematic training process in the pros, it is expected that his fastball will have enough consistency.
Hwang Jun-seo, who is participating in the first team spring training alongside infielder Hwang Young-mook as the only other Hanwha rookie, said, “It feels good to be in the starting lineup. I will go to camp and work hard so that I can get into the four or five starting spots. I want to show that I can be used as a starter,” he said, adding, “My goal is to be in the first team on the opening day and win the Rookie of the Year.”
Kim Seo-hyun, who was recognized as a super rookie this time last year, made a strong impression with his 160-kilometer fastball on Trackman and picked up a save, but then suffered growing pains with his pitches. After starting out as a reliever, Seo-hyun Kim took a starting class with the Futures team midseason and was tested once with the first team. His fiery fastball and end-of-ball movement are among the best in the league, 토토사이트 추천 but on days when he doesn’t get strikes, he falls apart. The team decided that it was not in the best interest of the team or the player to keep giving him chances as a starter under pressure.
Choi said, “Kim Seo-hyun will start in the bullpen this season. She just needs to work on her pitches. Her talent is superior to other players,” Choi said. “We will focus on improving her performance while using her in the bullpen for a short period of time.” In the early stages of the season, Choi will be used in a pressure-free situation as a chaser and will go through a buildup process that will gradually increase his weight.
“Did you see the hitters’ reactions to your pitches?”
Choi asked Kim during the final camp. When she said she hadn’t, Choi said, “All the batters are running away, but your ball is running away with them. Even if you ask the batters of other teams, they say they are scared of your ball. Know that and play a little more confidently,” Choi ordered.
At the end of the camp, Kim Seo-hyun said, “For the first time in baseball, I felt a big wall. I learned a lot of things. I think these experiences will definitely help me,” he said, adding, “I want to show the changes I’ve made more than I want to receive the award.” He was determined to win the rookie championship. For Kim Seo-hyun, who has dreamed of closing since she was a child, anchoring the bullpen is an opportunity to maximize her talent.