‘Doo Taek-yeon’ is finally becoming a reality. After returning from the youth national baseball team, Incheon High pitcher Kim Taek-yeon will enter the 2024 KBO Draft in two days. It’s looking increasingly likely that the “biggest right-hander in the game” will be selected by the Doosan Bears, who hold the second overall pick.
Along with Jang Chung-go pitcher Hwang Jun-seo, Kim is considered a “TOP 2” resource for the upcoming draft. If Hwang Jun-seo, considered the “best left-hander in the game,” is selected by the Hanwha Eagles with the No. 1 overall pick, Kim will naturally be in a Doosan uniform.
The Doosan organization has been watching Hwang and Kim for a long time. Even before Jang Hyun-seok (LA Dodgers) declared his intention to play in the United States, Doosan had been weighing the options for Hwang and Kim, and after watching Hanwha’s selection, Doosan was in a comfortable position to take one of the remaining players.
Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop also had high praise for Kim. “Together with the club, we are looking at good pitching resources, including Hwang Jun-seo and Kim Taek-yeon. I’ve been watching Kim Taek-yeon pitch, and I’m impressed because he has a stable pitching delivery that doesn’t look like a high school student. It all depends on what Hanwha chooses to do. I think whoever comes to our team will be a great addition, and we will have to decide how to develop them after seeing them in the final training session.”
Kim used the World Youth Baseball Championship to make a name for himself. In six games, Kim pitched 16 innings with a 2-1 record, one save, 29 strikeouts, and a 0.88 ERA. In the bronze medal game against the United States, she pitched a seven-inning no-hitter to help her team win the bronze medal.
However, Kim became embroiled in the “five-strikeout” controversy. Kim threw 54 pitches in relief against Chinese Taipei on Sept. 2, then threw 15 pitches in relief against Australia on Sept. 4 with one day of rest.
After taking a day off on Sept. 5, Kim threw 21 pitches in relief against Puerto Rico on Sept. 6, but was unable to finish the game due to a rain delay. Kim took the mound for the resumption of the suspended game against Puerto Rico on the 7th and threw 19 pitches to finish the game.
Kim also pitched 16 pitches in relief of starter Hwang Jun-seo against the United States in the Super Round on Aug. 8. After pitching three consecutive games, Kim threw 24 pitches in relief against the Netherlands in the Super Round on the 9th.
Following the four-game streak, her dream of a “five-game streak” became a reality. Kim took the mound for the bronze medal game against the United States and threw a total of 98 pitches until the seventh inning. He threw a total of 178 pitches in five days, an unrealistic feat in 21st century baseball.
Kim Taek-yeon’s pitching log for the Korean National Youth Baseball Team
Day 2 Taiwan 54 ball
3 days off
Day 4 Australia 15 pitches
5 days off
6th Puerto Rico 21 pitches
Day 7 Puerto Rico (Suspended) 19 balls
8th USA vs 16
9th Netherlands24
Day 10 98 pitches against USA
A total of 247 pitches were thrown over the nine days of the tournament.
The Korean bench, led by Lee Young-bok (Chungam-go), was able to keep Kim Taek-yeon in the game for five straight innings. However, he took advantage of the pitch count rest rule to extend his streak. On Sept. 9 against the Netherlands, Kim was replaced by Jeon Mir after reaching 24 pitches in a full-count battle with the opposing batter.
Rest by pitch count According to the tournament rules, a pitcher must have thrown 40 pitches or less on the previous two days in order to throw three consecutive pitches. Kim threw 16 and 24 pitches on the 8th and 9th, respectively, to reach the 40-pitch cutoff. The suspended game on the 7th counts as a traditional game on the 6th, so Kim was able to pitch in the 메이저사이트 bronze medal game against the USA on the 10th.
But the five-game streak wasn’t a short bullpen appearance. On the fifth day, Kim took the mound and threw a seven-inning, 98-pitch complete game shutout.
An amateur baseball official who watched the scene said, “It’s much more deadly for a pitcher to go back-to-back days without rest than to throw a lot of pitches in one day. Besides, they are teenagers, not adults, so their bones are not completely set. Proper rest days are essential when pitching back-to-back games. A five-game streak is a mound operation that is only concerned with national team performance, not player health.”
“For example, with the U.S. Youth National Team, the mound plan is finalized well in advance of the tournament. Each pitcher has a set date and innings to pitch. There’s no reason to overextend yourself when you’re utilizing all the pitchers on the roster.” In fact, in the bronze medal game against South Korea, the U.S. Youth National Team did not use a single back-to-back at the tournament.
Amidst the controversy over the five-pitch streak, Kim completed all official tournaments before the rookie draft. Now, he can only hope that his body will recover well from the long streak. Hopefully, Kim will be able to prepare for his professional debut next season in good health, along with his dream draft pick.