Who should we push?
The KIA Tigers are expected to produce two candidates for Rookie of the Year. They are left-handed pitcher Choi Ji-min (20) and starting pitcher Yoon Young-chul (19). Both have performed well enough to earn Rookie of the Year honors. They face tough competition from Hanwha's Moon Dong-joo (20), and there's even an internal rivalry. It's a tough call, as the club can't push one player over the other.
Yoon Young-cheol, a true rookie who was drafted in the first round of the 2023 draft, was the fifth starter full-time. In 25 appearances, he went 8-7 with a 4.04 ERA. He made seven quality starts. Kozoluki finished the season injury-free, throwing 122⅔ innings. He had excellent command of his pitches, including a changeup and slider. If he can get his fastball up to 140 mph, he could be a 10-win starter.
Choi Ji-min is a mid-round pick. He was highly touted after being selected in the first round of the 2022 Draft, but he was hampered by pitching issues and was limited to six appearances in six games. After developing his strength and mechanics with the Futures team, he pitched for Geelong Korea in the Australian League during the off-season and transformed into a fearsome pitcher. With a 150-kilometer fastball, he was a dominant left-handed ace. In 58 games, he finished with a 6-3 record, 3 saves, 12 shutouts, and a 2.12 ERA. He went on to win a gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Choi has pitched just six innings in the 2022 season, making him a candidate for Rookie of the Year. It's unusual for the Tigers to have two Rookie of the Year candidates in a single year. Their honorable mention status gives them a legitimate Rookie of the Year contender. Both players will have to surpass Moon Dong-ju, who became the national ace after leading the team to gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Regardless of the award, KIA has been applauded for the success of its rookies in recent years. It started with 2020 first-round pick Jung Hae-young. He was called up midway through the 2020 season, starting in the chase group and serving as the closer in the must-win group. In 2021, he became the closer and has collected 90 saves so far this year. He struggled to start the year, but still finished with 24 saves and a sub-2 ERA (2.95). 카지노사이트가이드
The 2021 season saw the emergence of left-handed specialist Lee Yi-ri. He broke into the starting rotation after struggling in spring training, and while many thought it would be a one-off, he stayed in the lineup until late in the season, throwing a fastball over 150 kilometers. She was named to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic team. Despite ending the season with blisters on his fingers and an ankle injury, he became the first rookie to win the title in 36 years since Lee Sun-cheol in 1985.
Kim "Little Jong-bum" Do-young made waves when he joined the Tigers for the 2022 season. He led the team in batting average in exhibition games, raising expectations for Tiger fans. He played leadoff and third base on opening day. Hit a professional wall and was relegated to a backup role, but showed promise in the second half of the season after revising his batting form. Gained one year of full-time experience.
Missed 80 days of the 2023 season with a fractured toe after the first two games. Returned on June 23 and batted .333 with 47 RBI, 72 runs scored, 25 stolen bases, an OPS of .824, and an honorable mention in scoring position in 385 at-bats. He also stole over 20 bases in his first 100 at-bats. He's a legitimate hitter. Expect him to be one of the league's leading hitters next year.