“I think the heavens are helping us.”
The NC Dinos selected two players in the second round of the draft last November. One of them was pitcher Kim Jae-yeol, 28.
Kim’s baseball life is like a soap opera. It is ongoing. After graduating from Busan High School, he was drafted by his hometown team, the Lotte Giants, in the seventh round of the 2014 rookie draft. After bouncing around the second team until 2017, Kim was eventually released.
After completing his military service at a defense contractor and playing in social baseball, he didn’t let go of the ball. Then he made a surprise appearance on a YouTube channel, throwing a powerful ball in the low 140km range, and was invited to try out for KIA ahead of the 2020 season.
In 2020, he made 14 appearances for KIA, including his first-team debut, and in 2021, he posted a 3.86 ERA in 24 games and 32⅔ innings, including his first win. In 2022, he became an even more important part of the team. He even took on the role of a closer when the bullpen collapsed. In 47 games and 43 innings pitched, he went 1-1 with one win, one save, five holds, 카지노사이트 and a 6.07 ERA. His contributions are not explained by his ERA. He upped his velocity to 150 kilometers and perfected his curveball and splitter, making him a first-team starter as a youngster.
Last year, however, Kim faltered again. He finished with a 13.11 ERA in nine games and 11⅔ innings in the first team. Instead, he started all 18 games in the second team, going 7-2 with a 2.63 ERA in 89 innings. He even flashed potential as a starter.
Then NC caught wind of him.
After confirming that he was off the 40-man roster for the second draft, NC selected Kim in the third round. “He is an all-weather right-handed pitcher who has a lot of first-team experience and can throw fastballs, so we selected him because we thought he was a power right away,” said scouting team leader Min Dong-geun after the draft.
Kim Jae-yeol never imagined that he would change teams in the second round of the draft. At the time of the second round draft, he was in Okinawa, Japan, participating in KIA’s finalization camp. He said, “I thought I was 100% (on the 40-man roster) because I was participating in the finishing camp. I never imagined that I would be transferred in the first place. I panicked when I got the news out of the blue,” he explained.
However, Kim’s designation meant that NC needed him after all.
He quickly shifted his thinking. “After I realized it, I think it’s all a good opportunity for me. It’s going to be an exciting year for me,” he said of the move.
“I’ve played a lot with NC in the first team and second team, and I think I made a good impression. I’m grateful that NC looked at me well, and I think that’s why I received this opportunity.”For now, Kim Jae-yeol will join the competition for the starting lineup. Last year, the team struggled with the immediate homegrown starters, so Kim Jae-yeol, who received starting lessons in the second team, is expected to be given a chance. “He didn’t look great in the bullpen last year,” Kang said. But he won about seven games as a starter for the Futures. We’ll have to see how good he is in the starting rotation. If he excels among the starters, we’re thinking of using him as a starter.” “If we think he’s more useful in the bullpen than as a starter, we’ll have to use him extensively in the bullpen.”
Since his late first-team debut, he’s seen some tight situations as a closer and has shown promise as a second-team starter. Reflecting on 2022, he said, “I had to go out and pitch when all the top pitchers were out, and it was the first time I felt that kind of responsibility, but it was good for me. I felt like my performance and concentration improved a lot when I was in charge.”
On the other hand, when it comes to his struggles last year,
“I was preparing to start in the second team and did well, but when I got to the first team, i didn’t get a chance to start. I think I didn’t get into a good routine,” he explained.
Another chapter has opened for Kim Jae-yeol, who is writing a drama with his indomitable will. Now that he has a second chance, he wants to prepare properly for any position. He said, “I read about the preparation for selection in an article. I think I can do really well in any position if I get the chance. If we need a starter, I’ll focus on that, and I think I’ve made an impact as a reliever. I also have experience in the bullpen, so I think I can do well at any time.”
For Kim Jae-yeol, 카지노사이트 추천 who was born in Busan and still has a family in Busan, the move to the NC with Changwon as his hometown was not only a motivating factor but also a psychological relief. “I have a lot of friends and seniors. I feel like I’ve already adapted,” he laughed, “I’m married and have a family in Busan, and I’m close to my family. In many ways, it’s a really good opportunity, and I even felt like the heavens were helping me,” he said, looking forward to his new baseball life in NC.