'SSG ACE' KIM GWANG-HYUN "I WANT TO WIN 15 GAMES, INCLUDING WHAT I COULDN'T DO LAST YEAR"
“The condition of my shoulder is definitely better than last year… I plan to pitch in two exhibition games.”
“I was the only pitcher who lost”
Kim Gwang-hyeon (35, SSG Landers), who returned to Korea after about 40 days of spring camp, started by ‘screaming’. 바카라사이트
SSG, who returned to Korea on the 7th, held five evaluation games with Taiwanese professional baseball clubs during the spring camp, winning 4 and losing 1.
As Kim Gwang-hyun confessed, his first loss was in an evaluation match against Pubang Guardians on the 1st, when he was the starting pitcher.
At that time, Gwang-Hyun Kim gave up 3 hits and 1 walk in 2 innings, allowing 1 run, and SSG lost 0-4.
However, in the game against Rakuten Monkeys on the 6th, the last evaluation game of spring camp, Gwang-Hyun Kim allowed 2 hits and 1 run in 3 innings, and SSG won 13-1.
Gwang-Hyun Kim's highest speed for fastball reached 145 km/h.
Gwang-Hyun Kim, whom we met at Incheon International Airport on this day, said, “All of our pitchers were good except me,” but he completed the spring camp well enough that the SSG coaching staff chose Kim Gwang-Hyun as their first choice in the regular season opening game (against the Incheon Lotte Giants on the 23rd).
Gwang-Hyun Kim also said, "First of all, I am in good physical condition.
The catch ball and the pitching in the evaluation match were also good," and "I plan to increase the number of pitches by appearing twice in the exhibition game.
The timing of the first appearance in the regular season will be determined by Coach Soong-Yong Lee.
“It’s my job to make it possible for him to pitch in the opening game,” he said with a bright expression.
Gwang-Hyun Kim is a left-handed ace representing Korean baseball.
Since 2008, he has played as an ace for the club and the Korean national baseball team.
Gwang-Hyun Kim, who also played in the American Major League, pitched with 13 wins, 3 losses, and an average ERA of 2.13 in the 2022 regular season, his first year back in Korea.
However, in 2023, he suffered from shoulder pain and received a report card that did not live up to his 'reputation' with 9 wins, 8 losses, and an average ERA of 3.53.
Gwang-Hyeon Kim looked back on 2023, saying, “I felt like I had to write the answers too late.”
He said, "The most important thing is to take care of your body.
If you don't get sick, the results are always good.
I paid the most attention to shoulder care during this spring camp.
I can't say it's as fresh as it was in high school, but my shoulder is definitely in better condition than last year."
The fact that Kim Gwang-hyun, who is increasingly feeling the ‘weight of words’, spoke this much means that he is confident in his physical condition.
Not being able to reach 10 wins last year actually motivated me.
Kim Gwang-hyun said, “I will definitely do better than last year,” and added, “Last year, the number of innings per game (5⅔ innings) I started as a starter did not exceed 6 innings.
If the starting pitcher throws as many innings as possible, the team will have a better chance of winning.
This year, the average number of innings is 6 innings.
“I definitely want to throw this award,” he promised.
He thought about 'wins' for a while and then said, "I definitely want to win 15 or more."
Gwang-Hyun Kim posted a career total of 158 wins (88 losses) in the KBO League.
If he adds two wins, he will become the fourth player in history to reach 160 wins, following Song Jin-woo (210 wins), Jeong Min-cheol (161 wins), and Yang Hyeon-jong (168 wins).
His same-age betting friend Yang Hyeon-jong (KIA Tigers) is also playing actively, so if Kim Gwang-hyun achieves 15 wins as he wishes, he will become the third pitcher in KBO league history to exceed 170 wins.
In fact, the scene that Gwang-Hyun Kim hopes for the most is for SSG to ‘hold a victory ceremony’ in the final game of the Korean Series like in 2022.
Gwang-Hyun Kim repeatedly pledged, "This year, I will win a lot.
I have to make up for what I couldn't do last year, so I will win more until the last game."
