KT Wiz rookie pitcher Kim Jeong-woon (19) expressed his strong aspirations to face Kiwoom Heroes Lee Jung-hoo (25).
Kim Jeong-woon, 스포츠토토 who was nominated in the 1st round (rank 10) of the 2023 rookie draft, is preparing for the season with the goal of making his first-team debut at the KT spring camp held at the Tucson Kino Sports Complex in Arizona, USA.
Kim Jeong-woon, who gathered expectations by playing an active role in last year’s World Youth Baseball Championship with an average ERA of 2.74 in 4 games (7⅔ innings) and 1 win, is adjusting his pitching form in this spring camp. This is because coach Lee Kang-cheol, who played an active part as a sidearm pitcher and won 152 wins, advised him to correct his pitching form by giving direct advice.
Kim Jeong-woon said, “I haven’t thrown many balls yet. He doesn’t let the ball go freely, but he is getting more and more balanced. I think the pace is good,” he said, adapting to his new pitching form. “The coach continued to tell me a lot about pitching form. The pitching form of the past and the pitching form of today are very different. I guess I’ll have to find mine. He said that it is important to use the lower body well, gather energy well in one place, and throw short short shots. The ball seems to fly better. In the past, there were many balls that died without power, but now they fly well with power,” he expressed satisfaction with the new pitching form.
Director Lee Kang-cheol said, “The pitch is good. If you get used to the changed pitching form, your speed will increase. It will not be easy to get into the first team now, but if he develops well, he will become a good pitcher.”
Kim Jeong-woon, who said, “My strength is confidence,” said, “I throw a fastball, slider, and changeup. He has the most confidence in straightball. In high school, he threw up to 147 km/h. He uses a slider for right-handed hitters and a changeup for left-handed hitters,” he introduced himself.
The batter Kim Jeong-woon most wanted to meet on the professional stage was Lee Dae-ho, the ‘4th hitter of Joseon’ who hit 374 home runs in his career. Unfortunately, Lee Dae-ho retired from active duty last season.
“I wanted to play against senior Lee Dae-ho, but he retired last year,” said Kim Jeong-woon, who felt sorry for him. When told that he could meet Lee Jung-hoo if he followed him to the major leagues, Kim Jung-woon laughed and said, “I will try hard.