How many fastballs are selected?···Kia expects the best ‘strongest’ mound ever
KIA will challenge the starting mound next year, perhaps throwing the fastest ball ever.
KIA completed the recruitment of foreign pitchers by recruiting Adonis Medina (26) on the 11th following Sean Anderson (28). Both of them throw the ball as fast as 150 km/h. Stable but not intimidating, this year’s foreign pitchers bid farewell to KIA’s winning bid. For these two foreign duos, who are’old-type’, KIA is expecting a one-two punch performance next year.
The reason why duos other than fastballs can be more powerful is because of the composition of domestic pitchers. KIA already has more fastball pitchers.
Ace Yang Hyeon-jong and Lee Eui-ri will keep their starting positions next year. Eui-ri Lee is a typical pitcher who shoots up to the early 150km range and strikes out a lot. Yang Hyeon-jong is also gradually adjusting the pace, but he originally threw a fastball. He still shoots up to 150 km.
The KIA mound emitted great power in the past when there were foreign pitchers with fastballs. The one-two punch combination of domestic ace Yang Hyeon-jong and foreign ace was powerful.
When there was Hector Noesi, an inning eater whose pitch was overwhelming, it was a fantastic one-two punch with Yang Hyeon-jong. Even at a time when there were no domestic selections worth mentioning, the mound returned with another foreign pitcher as the third starter. In 2017, when new starter Lim Ki-young was added, he became the strongest mound at once and won the championship. Even when there was Aaron Brooks, who also threw a powerful ball, he showed the power of a one-two punch with Yang Hyeon-jong.
Currently, Yang Hyeon-jong’s pitch itself is not as overwhelming as before. But there is still power. He pitched 170 or more innings this year for the 8th year in a row. The current KIA domestic selection with Lee Eui-ri, who has experienced up to the first 10 wins this year, is the most reliable compared to the past few years. Here, two foreign pitchers with strong pitches are added.
It has been only two seasons since the 2010s when KIA had a league representative ace named Yang Hyeon-jong, that it produced three 10-win pitchers. 2016 with Hector and Zeke Spruel, 2020 with Aaron Brooks-Drew Gagnon. Zeke and Gagnon were also pitchers who entered the KIA with a fastball of 150 km per hour. Even if one of the two foreign pitchers made a one-two punch with Yang Hyun-jong and the other played the role of the third starter, a 10-win trio came out. In particular, in 2016, Zeke won 10 wins, although not as much as expected, and Hector threw 206.2 innings and won 15 wins, demonstrating his power with Yang Hyeon-jong (200.1 innings, 10 wins). 스포츠토토
In 2023, KIA equipped two young foreign pitchers in their late 20s who threw up to 154 km. Young fastball pitcher Eui-ri Lee is still in the rotation that Hyeon-jong Yang is guarding. Among the pitchers vying for the 5th starter spot is left-hander Kim Ki-hoon, who is also a fastball pitcher. The composition is stronger than any other team.
When KIA’s one-two punch was strong, it was always a combination of Yang Hyeon-jong and the first outsider. Next year, KIA’s plan to make up for other weaknesses with the mound can lead to success if the duo, who throw strong balls, play the role of first and second starters side by side.