The Lotte Giants' rookie left-handed pitcher Kim Tae-hyun (20) will start the season as a starter on the Futures team.
Manager Kim Tae-hyung said about Kim Tae-hyun while meeting with reporters before the exhibition game against the Hanwha Eagles on the 13th at Busan Sajik Stadium, "I think it might be better for him to start as a starter in the二군. If we receive good reports from the二군, we will consider bringing him up based on the first team situation."
Lotte's five-man rotation has been completed with Charlie Barnes, Tucker Davidson, Park Se-woong, Kim Jin-wook, and Na Kyun-an. There is a way to use Kim Tae-hyun in the bullpen on the first team, but Manager Kim Tae-hyung has decided to prepare Kim Tae-hyun as a starter in the二군 for the long term.
Manager Kim said, "Although we need him in the bullpen, we want to avoid putting him directly in the winning team. It seems better for him to prepare as a starter in the二군 rather than going back and forth in the middle. We will give him enough time and let him build his pace as a starter." The plan is to utilize Kim Tae-hyun in case any existing starters drop out.
Kim Tae-hyun's pitching style is more suited to starting rather than the bullpen. A graduate of Gwangju Il High School, Kim Tae-hyun joined Lotte as the overall fourth pick in this year's first round. His style focuses on stable command and game management rather than blazing fastballs. In his first exhibition appearance on the 10th against LG, although his top speed was not fast at 141 km/h, he effectively used various breaking balls like forkballs, curves, and sliders, finishing 2 innings with 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, and 1 earned run (unearned).
Manager Kim praised, "His game management skills are good. He doesn’t feel like a rookie. It feels like he has pitched as a starter for years," and added, "If his velocity and rhythm improve, I think we can use him as a starter. He is someone we can trust to take on that role, and he needs to be prepared for it."
Meanwhile, right-handed pitcher Park Se-hyun, who joined as the overall 14th pick in the second round from Baemyeong High School, also left a good impression in his first appearance against LG on the 11th. Coming in during the 8th inning with 1 out and 1 on base, he allowed one walk but struck out Oh Ji-hwan with a fastball clocked at 146 km/h. His highest speed was 148 km/h. As Lotte secured the winning point in the 8th inning, Park Se-hyun earned a victory.
Manager Kim expressed expectations for Park Se-hyun, saying, "The ball itself is fast, and his pitching style is aggressive, similar to that of a middle reliever. If he improves, he could pitch at 150 km/h. If his command gets better, he will be even better moving forward."
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