Left-handed pitcher Kim Yun-sik (LG) will be the most surprising selection in the WBC (World Baseball Classic) team entry led by coach Lee Kang-cheol. Cha Myeong-seok, general manager of LG, also expressed surprise and joy, saying, “I didn’t know I would be selected.”
Among the 15 national team pitchers, Kim Yun-sik was named as a left-handed pitcher along with Kim Gwang-hyeon, Yang Hyeon-jong, Koo Chang-mo, and Lee Eui-ri. There was some expectation due to his excellent pitching in the second half of last year, but he was able to wear the Taegeuk mark with left-handed pitchers.
Kim Yun-sik joined LG in the 2nd 1st round (3rd overall) of the 2020 rookie draft. In his first year and second season, he played as a swing man between starter and bullpen.
His first year, he went 2-4 with 2 holds in 23 games, pitching 67⅔ innings. His earned run average was in the 6.25 range. In his second year, he appeared in 35 games (66⅔ innings) and improved to a 7-4 record with 1 hold and an earned run average of 4.46.
He stepped up as a pitcher last year. Kim Yun-shik started 23 games (114⅓ innings) and recorded a career-high record of 8-5 with an ERA of 3.31. It was a dramatic season.
Kim Yun-shik was not included in the first team entry for the opening game due to competition for the 5th selection in last year’s spring camp. He planned to start the season in the second team, but his first appearance was delayed because Ace Kelly suffered from a complete ankle condition. Kim Yun-sik took the mound as a temporary starter in place of Kelly, and then went down to the second team.
However, at the end of April, as 5th starter Son Joo-young was on the operating table due to an elbow injury, Kim Yun-sik was called up again as a temporary starter, and joined the rotation as a 5th starter from May.
Kim Yun-shik, who pitched well in the first half, improved his pitch in the second half. In particular, since September, he has been very active with an 온라인바카라 ERA of 0.79 with 4 wins and no losses in 6 starts. He had the lowest earned run average in the league.
With an impressive fall rise, he took on the role of the 3rd starter in the playoffs, and in the 3rd game of the playoffs with Kiwoom, he did his part with 3 hits and 1 run in 5⅔innings.
The secret to the change in the second half of last year is that the fastball gained strength and the changeup control improved remarkably. As the changeup pitches became more advanced, it became difficult for hitters to respond. In addition, while seeing the effect of the slider that bends toward the body of right-handed hitters, the skill of right-handed hitters has also improved.
Former coach Ryu Ji-hyun said in the second half of the season, “Kim Yun-sik has a sense of stability. He doesn’t get nervous when runners go out. He blocks at the same pace without wavering. It feels like he has risen to the next level,” he praised.
Can Kim Yun-shik expect a surprise performance in his first adult national team like his hometown junior Eui-ri Lee (KIA)? Eui-ri Lee, a one-year junior, made an impressive performance at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics with the Taegeuk mark.
Eui-ri Lee made his first international debut in his professional career when he came on as a starter against the Dominican Republic. He gave up the first run in the first inning with a wild throw at 1st and 3rd base, but he overcame the crisis well afterwards. He hit a two-run home run in the 4th inning, but also showed a powerful pitch, striking out 9 in 5 innings. 5 innings, 4 hits, 9 strikeouts, 3 runs.
Eui-ri Lee again appeared as a starting pitcher in the second semifinal match against the United States, striking out another nine and putting on a strikeout show. After two shots in the second inning, he hit a timely hit and gave up the first run, and after two shots in the fourth inning, he hit a solo home run. He did his part with 5 hits and 2 runs in 5 innings. Lee Eui-ri finished the tournament with 18 strikeouts and 5 runs in 2 games, 10 innings.
The WBC tournament has a limit on the number of pitches, so all pitchers must throw well and throw evenly. If Kim Yun-sik continues the skills he showed in the second half of last year during the competition, he is expected to be a surprise card.