Two years after the Tokyo Olympics, the status has changed.
Eui-ri Lee (KIA) and Jin-wook Kim (Lotte) were the most notable rookie pitchers in 2021. There was a sense of urgency in the Rookie of the Year race as well. Lee Eui-ri had an average ERA of 3.61 with 4 wins and 5 losses in 19 games, and Kim Jin-wook had an average ERA of 6.31 with 4 wins, 6 losses and 8 holds in 39 games.
Lee Eui-ri tripped on the dugout stairs and practically lost the second half, while Kim Jin-wook was a fairly reliable bullpen with an average ERA of 3.24 with 2 wins, 1 loss and 7 holds in 22 games in the second half. In the end, the joys and sorrows were divided, but they also accumulated valuable experience by participating in the Tokyo Olympics together that summer.
At that time, Eui-ri Lee only had 1 loss and an average ERA of 4.50 in 2 games. However, he did at least his share, throwing 5 innings in both games. Kim Jin-wook was in charge of dirty work, such as stepping out even when the score was being scored. As a result, after experiencing the Olympics, it led to great success in the second half.
So in 2021, Korean baseball had the harvest of the discovery of two left-handed young guns born in 2002. In particular, Lee Eui-ri confirmed the clear direction, such as the belief that a fast left-hander and Kim Jin-wook would take a place in the starting rotation for a long time.
However, in 2022, the joys and sorrows of the two diverged greatly. Eui-ri Lee recorded an average ERA of 3.86 with 10 wins and 10 losses in 29 games. Unlike his first season, for the first time in his life, he played full-time as a starter and won 10 wins. It was a season that embraced the importance of his health and confidence in his fast ball.
On the other hand, Kim Jin-wook walked in place. He went 2-5 with an ERA of 6.36 in 14 games. Unlike the 2021 season, he had many opportunities as a starting pitcher, but the consistency of pitching was greatly lacking. He has failed to instill a firm belief that it is still for the First Army. He increased the weight of the curve, but it was not fun.
A year and a half after the Olympics, two years have passed. The two 21-year-old Young Guns, who started running together at the starting line, have a clear distance difference at this point. Eui-ri Lee has become a guaranteed pitcher, and Jin-wook Kim’s goal is to survive in the first team, let alone a position. Lee Eui-ri will also go to the WBC in March.
Kim Jin-wook is sharpening his knife in 바카라사이트 Australia. He is strengthening his competitiveness as a member of Geelong Korea. On the 13th, he started against Tuatara in Oakland, giving up 2 hits, 2 strikeouts and 3 walks in 5 innings. He failed to become a winning pitcher, and he also committed two balks. However, he cleanly cooked 19 batsmen off 71 balls.
He’s not good, with 2 losses in 3 games and an ERA of 8.25. However, the performance you see is not that important. It is more important to check and supplement weapons, pitching patterns, and preparation routines to be used in the KBO League in the 2023 season. If he felt something from the 13th game, that in itself is a small harvest.
His two 21-year-old Young Guns are in their third season. Lee Eui-ri has played well so far, but I don’t know about this season. Kim Jin-wook’s pursuit may begin, and Lee Eui-ri may run away and widen the gap. There are many opportunities for the two 21-year-old young guns to leave an impact, such as Eui-ri Lee’s WBC, KIA and Lotte’s this season, Hangzhou Asian Games in September, and APBC in November.