“I rested and recovered well and am fine now.” Kim Taek-yeon of Incheon High School, the protagonist of the five-game series, smiled brightly while wearing the Doosan Bears uniform after being selected as the second overall pick in the rookie draft.
The 2024 KBO rookie draft was held at the Grand Ballroom of the Westin Chosun Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul on the 14th. Doosan general manager Kim Tae-ryong, who had the second overall pick, nominated right-hander Kim Taek-yeon of Incheon High School.
Kim Taek-yeon of Incheon High School, who has a stocky physique of 184cm and 88kg, was evaluated as a post-high school player for his pitching that overwhelmed batters with a heavy fastball with a top speed of 153km.
His high school league performance this season was 13 games, 64.1 innings, 7 wins, 1 loss, an ERA of 1.13, 4 walks, 10 walks, and 97 strikeouts, recording an incredible strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The strength of Kim Taek-yeon, who recently won a bronze medal with a brilliant pitch at the U18 Baseball World Cup held in Taiwan, is consistency. A fastball exceeding 150 km/h goes into the mitt more heavily than the speed at which it is recorded. The rotation speed and vertical movement of the ball are evaluated as being at the top level compared to professional pitchers.
Kim Taek-yeon, who pitched in 6 games over 8 days during the tournament, became the center of controversy with 5 consecutive pitches. The total number of pitches is 247. Despite his young age,스포츠토토 Kim Taek-yeon, who went to international competitions wearing the Taegeuk symbol, worked as a starter and bullpen player and recorded two wins and an ERA of 0.88 in 16 innings.
Kim Taek-yeon took the mound as a starting pitcher in the bronze medal game against the United States and won the bronze medal by pitching 98 pitches in 7 innings, allowing 2 hits, striking out 9, and getting a complete shutout.
Kim Taek-yeon of Incheon High School, who participated in the rookie draft with a nervous expression, sat with Won Sang-hyeon of Busan High School, Kim Hwi-geon of Whimoon High School, and Hwang Jun-seo of Jangchung High School and waited for the order of nomination.
When Hwang Jun-seo, wearing the Hanwha Eagles uniform as the first overall pick, returned to his seat, Kim Taek-yeon applauded and then gave a fist bump and sincerely congratulated his friend.
Soon after, Doosan Bears general manager Kim Tae-ryong, who had the second-best pick, took the microphone and nominated Kim Taek-yeon of Incheon High School. When his name was called, Taekyeon Kim went on stage with a nervous expression. General manager Kim Tae-ryong personally dressed Kim Taek-yeon in a Doosan uniform with ‘2024 Kim Taek-yeon’ engraved on it.
Regarding the reason for nominating Kim Taek-yeon at Incheon High School, Director Kim said, “We have been tracking several players, but Kim Taek-yeon has shown consistent performance from the spring until the recent Baseball World Cup. It was good to see him hitting the ball well and maintaining speed without any injuries consistently. 2-3 years at the earliest. “I expect him to grow into a stopper inside,” he said.
Doo Taek-yeon (Doosan Bears + Kim Taek-yeon), who was handed the microphone, said on the eve of the draft, “It’s a position I’ve dreamed of since I was young, and I’m so honored to be selected by a great team like the Doosan Bears. I tried not to think about it as much as possible, but I was so nervous and excited that I had trouble sleeping.” I explained how I felt trembled.
Kim Taek-yeon, who wore a special uniform with his name engraved in the draft, expressed his ambition, saying, “I still have many shortcomings and a lot to learn, but I will work hard to grow as soon as possible and be able to throw the ball on the Doosan mound.”
Regarding the controversy over overuse in the 5-game series, Kim Taek-yeon showed a resolute attitude, saying, “I went home after the tournament, rested well, recovered, and am fine now.”
Taek-yeon Doo, who said, “I want to be the first Kim Taek-yeon, not the second-best,” is looking forward to what he will show on the mound in Jamsil in the 2024 season.