Was the expectation too high? He is a "special" talent, but he has hardly been able to open his eyes. Amid the Lotte Giants' sluggishness, Kim Jin-wook is making his fans' hearts burn even more.
Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung stressed the importance of utilizing left-handed bullpens even before the season. However, only Lim Joon-seop has been properly utilized in the Lotte primary this year.
Lim played four ⅔ innings in 10 games this season. Although his ERA is not good at 7.71, he is doing well considering his recruitment as a relief pitcher for left-handers.
Unfortunately, Jin Hae-soo, who was recruited through trade, Jeong Hyeon-soo, a college graduate, and Kim Jin-wook, who has not been able to escape from the promising level for four years.
In particular, Kim Jin-wook is far against expectations that he will grow into the next generation of starting pitchers. When he was a second grader at Gangneung High School, he already won the "Choi Dong-won Award" and was the first choice in the second round of the rookie draft in 2021. He was called a left-hander troika along with Lee Eui-ri (KIA Tigers) and Lee Seung-hyun (Samsung Lions) and was considered the most immediately powerful player among them.
The reality is, the team has never finished 50 innings in three seasons since its debut. Starting every year, the team has repeatedly been demoted to the bullpen. This is because of the six-point ERA for the third consecutive year. The Major League has a 6.37 ERA. The gap is widening between Lee Eui-ri, who has secured a starting position and won the Rookie of the Year award since his debut season, and Lee Seung-hyun, who has established himself as a central pitcher of Samsung.
Coach Kim Tae-hyung hinted at the possibility of competition against Kim Jin-wook to become the fifth starting pitcher soon after taking the helm. Kim himself visited the World Wing Training Center in Japan and conducted individual training to enhance his skills.
However, he was absent from the opening entry list due to sluggish performances since the spring camp, including an exchange game with Chiba Lotte. "The ball was really good. His performance in the actual game is different from that of the bullpen," pitching coach Joo Hyung-kwang said of Kim Jin-wook, waiting for him to regain performance.
He has never made the first team this season. He is a starter in the Futures League, but has been sluggish with an ERA of 5.51 during 16 ⅓ innings in four games. In the Blue and White match on the 24th, his fastest fastball speed reached 145 kilometers, but he failed to show impressive pitching.
Manager Kim Tae-hyung said, "I'm watching. If there is an empty spot in the starting lineup, either Han Hyun-hee or Kim Jin-wook will leave," but added, "It is difficult to use it as a bullpen because of my ball control. What if I go up in the middle and play ball? I don't have faith in Kim Jin-wook yet."
Now in his fourth year as a professional player, Kim Jin-wook is at a crossroads of choice. He needs to find his own role within this year.
BY: 스포츠토토핫