KBO′s No. 1 overall pick wants to ease into starting job as rookie

KBO's No. 1 overall pick wants to ease into starting job as rookie: More Sports / 유지호 / 2021-01-08 09:21:12

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▲ This photo provided by the Lotte Giants on Jan. 7, 2021, shows the Korea Baseball Organization club's rookie pitcher, Kim Jin-wook. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ In this file photo from June 22, 2020, Kim Jin-wook of Gangneung High School pitches against Gimhae High School in the final of the Golden Lion National High School Baseball Tournament at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul. (Yonhap)

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KBO's No. 1 overall pick wants to ease into starting job as rookie

SEOUL, Jan. 8 (Yonhap) -- The first overall draft picks in any sport face high expectations. Even though most of those selections are only teenagers, they're seen as potential saviors for their downtrodden teams who were bad enough the previous season to be choosing so high in the draft.

It's no different for the 18-year-old South Korean left-hander Kim Jin-wook, the top choice in last year's Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) draft by the Lotte Giants.

The Giants finished dead last in the 2019 season, and their consolation prize was the top pick in the following year's draft. And the team's famously demanding fans quickly anointed Kim, already the best high school pitcher in the country as a second-year starter in 2019, as their No. 1 draft selection and future ace.

Having signed with the Giants, Kim is now regarded as a potential starter right out of the gate. The Giants didn't have any full-time left-handed starters last season, with the veteran southpaw Jang Won-sam making four starts in cameo.

So can Kim pitch his way into the rotation as a rookie?

In a recent virtual interview, Kim said he'd rather ease into the starting role.

"I want to begin the season as a middle reliever," Kim said. "I think it'd be great if I learn a few things as a reliever and then get into the rotation. But I haven't heard anything from the team yet. This is just my personal opinion."

Kim also added, "I know the team doesn't have a lot of left-handers and it's a great opportunity for me."

In 2019, his second year for Gangneung High School in Gangneung, around 230 kilometers east of Seoul, Kim won the annual Choi Dong-won Award, presented to the country's best pitcher, in the amateur category. That year, Kim went 11-1 with a 1.58 ERA in 21 appearances, with 132 strikeouts and 18 walks in 91 innings. He beat out So Hyeong-jun, the 2020 KBO Rookie of the Year, among other high school seniors for the award.

"I didn't expect to win that award in my second year," Kim recalled. "It was a huge honor."

Then in 2020, Kim pitched Gangneung to the President's Cup National High School Baseball Tournament title in August for the school's first national championship. Kim was named both the MVP and the Best Pitcher at the tournament.

He posted a 1.70 ERA and a 4-1 record in 10 appearances covering 36 2/3 innings last year. He struck out 55 and walked eight.

"I know Lotte fans wanted me on their team, and their wish has come true," Kim said. "I want to go out there and strike out batters for the fans."

Scouts have raved about Kim's maturity on the mound and his slider command. Kim said he's trying to add a changeup to his repertoire.

"I think it's a pitch that you have to learn, whether you're a starter or a reliever," Kim said. "I am doing the best I can to master that pitch. I'll try to win the Rookie of the Year and be an essential member of our team."

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