Why did the KT Wiz select a rookie pitcher who hasn’t even made his debut yet as a scholar-athlete for the mini-camp that precedes spring training?
According to the KT organization, rookie pitcher Won Sang-hyun (20), along with So Min-joon (23), Shin Beom-jun (22), and Yook Cheong-myeong (19), left for Clark, Philippines on the 15th to prepare for their debut spring camp in February in Gijang, Busan.
Won Sang-hyun and Yuk Cheong-myeong were selected by KT in the first round (7th overall) and second round (17th overall), respectively, in the 2024 rookie draft, while Choi Min-joon was selected by KT in 2020 and Shin in 2021. Won was given the opportunity to train with two first-round picks and a classmate before he even made his debut.
This is part of KT’s “KT Wiz Philippines Care Program,” where the club will cover the cost of the minicamp, which will run from Jan. 15 to Feb. 10. A KT representative said, “The program is designed to help the club’s key players recover quickly in an optimal winter environment, train their skills, and hopefully play an early role in the first team. We are expecting a win-win effect between the team and the players by supporting the optimal training environment with the expectation of the capabilities of the top players.”
The mini-camp will be held in four-day rotations and will include weight training, strengthening, technical training, running, and medical treatment.
The plan is to improve the pitchers’ condition to a state where they can pitch at least 70 percent of the time by combining it with a systematic ITP (step-by-step pitching program).
Although January is a period of inactivity when joint training is prohibited, KT’s support of the minicamp does not violate KBO rules. 바카라사이트 Article 144 [Training], paragraph 2, states, “The KBO may conduct domestic and foreign rehabilitation training for rehabilitated players and players who have completed military service in the current year,” and paragraph 3 states, “The KBO may conduct coach-led domestic and foreign training for rookie players to help them identify and adapt to their skills.
Choi is undergoing long-term rehabilitation after undergoing elbow ligament graft surgery in May last year, while Shin also has a history of right shoulder and elbow injuries. Won Sang-hyun and Yuk Cheong-myung are rookies selected by KT in the 2024 rookie draft.
The most anticipated player in the minicamp is right-hander Won Sang-hyun, a first-round pick.
Like all first-rounders, Won had a colorful amateur career. As a sophomore at Busan High School, he started the final game of the 50th Bonghwangdae National High School Baseball Tournament against Gangneung High School at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul on September 13, 2022, and threw 105 pitches in 8⅓ innings with three hits, three walks, five strikeouts, and no runs to lead his alma mater to victory. It was the first national championship in 22 years since the 2000 Presidential Baseball Championship, when Choo Shin-soo (SSG), Jung Geun-woo (retired), and other 1982-born players won the title. The Most Valuable Player and Pitcher awards went to him.
At the time of the rookie draft, Won Sang-hyun’s impression of being selected by KT was also a hot topic. This was because his role model in the KBO was not his hometown team, the Lotte Giants, but KT. Won said, “I’m happy to join KT. When I was finishing up my freshman year of high school, I realized that I wanted to be a starter after watching Choi Min-joon. I will strive to become a player who represents the team and the league like Choi Min-joon.”
KT’s starting rotation for the 2024 season is expected to be the strongest in the league for the first four starts, assuming all players are healthy. The one-two punch of William Cuevas-Wes Benjamin, who re-signed early, will anchor the rotation, along with the league’s best homegrown ace, Ko Young-pyo, and Uhm Sang-baek, who surpassed Kim Kwang-hyun (SSG) for the win percentage title in 2022.
The question is the one remaining spot.
Lee Yoo-seong, who filled the void left by Choi Min-joon’s elbow surgery, joined the Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Commerce) in December last year. After undergoing elbow ligament graft surgery in May last year, Choi won’t be able to return until the end of the first half at the earliest. And even if he does return healthy, he’ll need to be managed steadily this year.
KT is envisioning a scenario where the team runs a five-man rotation with new faces in the first half, and then bolsters its mound depth with Choi’s return. 토토사이트 추천 Lee Kang-cheol mentioned Won Sang-hyun as one of those “new faces”.
Before departing, Won said, “I’m well-reinforced through the final camp and Iksan training. Since the Philippines is a warm place, I plan to focus on the technical part and complement it, and I want to improve my pitching condition a lot and show a good appearance in the first team camp.” “I felt how much the team expected me to participate in the care program like this. Thank you for your care,” he said.
“As they are all the club’s No. 1 and No. 2 players, we agreed that they needed intensive care, and thanks to their support, we were able to carry out the program,” said KT Training Coach Koo Ja-uk. “As young players, I thought it would be good for them to build their bodies in a warm climate and a good training environment. We are looking forward to seeing them complete the program and show good physical condition in future camps.”