Draft moment when I was nervous, Kim Yun-Sik's nomination became a reality [Yun Se-ho's Twin Soul]
“I’m thinking. I really wish I did... I don't know if that's possible."
It was the night of August 25, 2019, one day before the 2020 rookie draft. LG's general manager Cha Myung-seok revealed his expectations and concerns about the draft the next day after the match against Jamsil KT. LG had the third pick in the draft. It was inevitably influenced by the results of the NC and KT nominations in front of LG. Many predicted that NC would nominate Duksu High School left pitcher Jung Gu-Beom in the first round of the first round, and KT would nominate Jinheung High left pitcher Kim Yun-sik in the second round of the first round.
However, with the draft in front of them, rumors circulated that KT had changed their selection power. It was said that KT was watching Yushin-go catcher Kang Hyun-woo, not Kim Yun-sik, in order to secure future catcher resources. LG knew this too. General Manager Cha Myung-seok and the scouting team spent the night before the draft hoping that the rumors would be true.
The rumors were true. In the August 26, 2019 draft, KT called Kang Hyun-woo as the 2nd overall pick in the first round. LG, who was anxious, called out Kim Yun-sik as the 3rd overall and shouted hurrah inwardly. Kim Yun-Sik's nomination became the starting point of a perfectly satisfactory draft. LG nominated Gyeongnam High School infielder Joo-Hyung Lee in the second round and infielder Ho-Young Son, who dropped out of Hongik University and challenged the Major Leagues (MLB) in the third round.
If KT nominated Kim Yoon-sik as the second, LG planned to appoint Lee Joo-Hyung as the third. The LG scout team leader Baek Seong-jin recalled that time and said, “Actually, Yoon-sik was giving up. We expected it to be a nomination in front of us. However, as KT needed a catcher, we were able to nominate Yoon Shik. If Joo Hyeong-i was not chosen in the first round, I thought that there would be no chance in the second round. But overall, the direction of the nominations of the clubs was different. And he was able to pick up Joo Hyung in the second round,” he said.
About 34 months have passed since the 2020 draft. Three of those who first wore LG uniforms in the draft are currently active as the core forces of the first team. The first round pick Lee Min-ho and the first round pick Kim Yun-sik are in the starting rotation. Ho-Young Son, who was selected in the third round, did not miss the opportunity that came to him and started in 8 of the 13 games played in June.
Kim Yun-Sik's recent activities are the most intense. He secured a spot in the rotation after having a fight with Joo-Young Son and Jun-Hyeong Lim for the 5th round until the demonstration game. Instead of going back and forth between the starting and the middle like before, this year, he has established himself as a starting pitcher. He averaged a 3.99 ERA in 10 starts with a 2–3 record. He has an ERA of 2.08 with 4 runs in 17.1 innings in 3 games played in June. In the match against Gocheok Kiwoom on the 17th, Ahn Woo-Jin and LG did not lose in the starting match, and LG won 4-2 after a close overtime. This day's victory became a stepping stone for the winning series of three consecutive matches over the weekend in Gocheok.
Team leader Baek said about Kim Yoon-sik at the time of the nomination, "As a left-handed pitcher, he threw 140km in the mid-to-late half. He also has stamina capable of complete throws. He thought that if our team, who needed a young left-handed pitcher, brought him in, he would be able to use it quickly.” As team leader Baek predicted, Kim Yun-sik has been on the first-team stage since the beginning of the 2020 season, which was the first year. He breathed new energy into Lee Min-ho and LG pitching team, who joined together. His ability to learn pitching was innate. He learned the two-seam fastball immediately after taking advice from pitching coach Choi Il-eon in 2020.
There were also challenges. He felt discomfort in his elbow in the first year and shoulder discomfort in the second year. He seldom established a routine. He suffered from ups and downs according to his condition. This year, the problem has been solved. Unlike normal starting pitchers, Kim Yun-sik does not pitch in the bullpen two days before the start. To maintain his shoulder condition, he requested the coaching staff, and pitching coaches Kyung Heon-ho and Kim Gwang-sam accepted it. Instead of bullpen pitching, the emphasis was placed on lower body strengthening training.
As a result, both pitch and control improved. He also throws 146-147 km in the middle of the game. The average speed is also formed in the mid-140km range. The drop in the changeup that can catch right-handed hitters has increased, and the slider against left-handed hitters is getting sharper. He is growing as a perfect left-handed pitcher who uses a variety of pitches with a stable balance. LG coach Ryu Ji-Hyeon said after the game on the 17th, "Kim Yun-sik took a step forward as a starting pitcher. Kim Yun-Sik's pitch gives confidence to the bench."
Meanwhile, Team Leader Baek is also busy planning the strategy for the 2023 rookie draft, which is three months away. LG will use the 7th pick in the rookie draft this September. He said, “Usually, we put Shim Jun-seok, Kim Seo-hyun, and Shin Young-woo at the top, and Yoon Young-Cheol, Song Young-Jin, and Seo Hyun-won below them. . He is constantly looking at whether he will be a pitcher or a fielder and is skeptical.”
◆Last week's brief review
team results: 4 wins and 2 losses (Jamsil Samsung: win/loss · Gocheok Kiwoom: win/loss).
Team ERA of 2.13 (second place), starting ERA of 2.56 (fourth place), bullpen 1.10 (first place).
Team batting average of 0.245 (6th), team 3 home runs (tied 6th), team OPS 0.653 (7th).
MVP: Kim Hyun-soo 6 games, 28 at-bats batting average of 0.321 (9 hits in 28 at-bat), 2 homers, 8 RBIs, OPS 0.892.
◆This week's schedule and last match against
Hanwha in Jamsil on the 21st-23rd, Suwon KT against Hanwha on the 24th-26th
Season record 5 wins and 1 loss advantage. From May 10th to 12th, the winning series sweeps over Jamsil 3 consecutive matches.
KT's season record is 2 wins and 4 losses. From May 17th to 19th, Suwon 3 matches 2 wins 1 loss winning series.
◆Estimated starting rotation 사설토토
: Jamsil Hanwha Match on 21st (Lee Min-ho) - 22nd Jamsil Hanwha Match (Kelly) - 23rd Jamsil Hanwha Match (Kim Yun-sik) - 24th Suwon KT (Lim Chan-gyu) - 25th Suwon KT (Plotco) - 26th Suwon KT match (Lee Min-ho).