Kim Seo-hyun (20), Hanwha Eagles' '160km express rookie', is dreaming of taking flight in his second season after a year of wandering. Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho assigned the position of setup man to Kim Seo-hyun, who was unable to decide between starting and bullpen positions.
Coach Won-ho Choi, who is leading the 2024 Hanwha Spring Camp at Melbourne Ball Park in Melbourne, Australia, met with reporters and said, “We discussed ways to maximize Kim Seo-hyun’s performance, and concluded that pitching short innings rather than long innings can maximize a player’s abilities.” paid it Seohyun Kim is building up as a setup man this year. “He’s preparing us to give it our all in one inning.”
Kim Seo-hyun, who graduated from Seoul High School and joined Hanwha as the first pick in the first round in the 2023 rookie draft, truly felt the wall of becoming a professional in his first year of debut. Amidst great expectations, he was on the mound for the first team 20 times, but suffered a setback with no wins or losses, 1 save, and an ERA of 7.25. He struck out 26 batters in 22⅓ innings with a fastball that reached up to 160 km/h and a sharp slider according to Trackman, but he had 23 walks and 7 walks due to poor ball control.
Kim Seo-hyun disappeared from the first team after giving up 3 hits, 4 walks, 1 strikeout, and 3 runs in 2 innings against NC on August 17th last year. Even in the Futures League, he failed to meet the expectations of a super rookie due to his uneven pitch control, and ended his eventful debut season with 6 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 4 runs (3 earned) in 3⅓ innings against Doosan on September 6. The 2nd team record is 14 games, 3 wins, 1 loss, 1 hold, and an ERA of 4.01. He continued to move between starting and bullpen positions and felt confused about his position identity.
Kim Seo-hyun, whom we met in Melbourne, said, “I moved around a lot between starting and middle positions. For the first time, he made me feel my own limitations. He didn't know what to do or what to do to help. “It was a year when I hit a big wall,” he said, looking back on his first season.
Kim Seo-hyun participated in last year's final training, recovering from the trials and errors of the first season and laying the foundation for a rebound in the second year. He said, “Actually, he didn’t have control even during his finishing training. “Coach Seung-min Park told me what to improve, but he only had a short amount of time to exercise,” he said. “I am exercising while always thinking about what the coach said during spring camp.” “This year, I want to develop my skills and show a different side of myself than last year,” he said.
The reason why Kim Seo-hyun's outlook for the second season is bright is because, unlike last year, the position he will challenge for was decided early on. He, who initially received attention as a finisher, is expected to finally show off his fastball in the 150km range as he is selected as the setup man, which is like a closing rehearsal.
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