The professional baseball Kiwoom Heroes showcase the league's youngest 3rd, 4th, and 5th starters.

Kiwoom secured a 3-2 victory against the Lotte Giants in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' game held at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 18th, finishing the exhibition game schedule with three consecutive wins. They recorded a total of 6 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses, achieving a winning percentage of .667 and ranking tied for 3rd in the league.

Starting pitcher Jeong Hyun-woo pitched 4 innings allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts with 2 earned runs (1 unearned run). Jeong, who was the overall 1st pick in the 2025 rookie draft, is seen as the next-generation left-handed ace. Although he did not complete his goal of 5 innings in this game, he showed adept game management skills without being significantly shaken by a fielding error in the 1st inning.

After the game, Jeong Hyun-woo said, “Since this was the last exhibition game, I feel like I was able to try everything I wanted to before entering the regular season. In the early 3 innings, I had a high strike rate on the first pitch, which allowed me to maintain an efficient pitch count. However, in the 4th inning, the pitch count increased, making it difficult to manage the game. I will reflect on the parts that did not go well today and strive to achieve better results in the regular season.”

Kiwoom has made a bold move this season by using only one foreign pitcher. Left-handed pitcher Kenny Rosenberg takes on the ace role. Following him, Ha Young-min, who demonstrated potential as a starting pitcher last season with a record of 9 wins, 8 losses, and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.37 over 28 games (150⅓ innings), has been positioned as the 2nd starter.

The 3rd, 4th, and 5th starters are all expected to be young pitchers in their 1st to 2nd years. The 3rd starter is Kim Yoon-ha, who was selected 9th in the 1st round of the 2024 rookie draft, while the 4th starter will be Jeong Hyun-woo, who is making his debut in the KBO League this year. Kim Yoon-ha recorded 1 win and 6 losses with an ERA of 6.04 over 19 games (79 innings) last season, demonstrating his inning-eating ability. In the exhibition games this year, he performed well with 2 wins and an ERA of 2.00 over 2 games (9 innings). Jeong Hyun-woo also excelled in the exhibition games, posting 2 wins and an ERA of 0.82 over 3 games (11 innings). The 5th starter has not yet been disclosed.

Kiwoom’s manager Hong Won-ki noted in an interview on the 18th regarding questions about the 5th starter, “You will find out when we go to Gwangju. It will likely be a young pitcher. Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th starters have an average age of 19. It feels like we are seeing a phoenix rising.”

Potential candidates for the 5th starter include Yoon Hyun (31st, 4th round of the 2025 draft), Kim Seo-jun (7th, 1st round of the 2025 draft), and Jeon Jun-pyo (8th, 1st round of the 2024 draft).

Right-handed pitcher Yoon Hyun was not a player who received much attention at the time of the draft. However, he made a strong impression with his excellent pitching starting from the practice games at the Kaohsiung Camp in Taiwan and delivered outstanding performance in the exhibition games as well. Although he has not made a starting appearance, he recorded 1 hold and an ERA of 0.00 over 2 games (6 innings). He also struck out 6 batters, showcasing his impressive pitching.

Kim Seo-jun, another right-handed pitcher selected in the 1st round, is known for his impressive control. However, he struggled somewhat in the exhibition games, recording 1 loss and 1 hold with an ERA of 5.14 over 2 games (7 innings). Right-handed pitcher Jeon Jun-pyo made his debut in the first team last season, recording 2 wins and 4 losses with an ERA of 6.83 over 18 games (27⅔ innings). This year in the exhibition games, he had a disappointing performance with an ERA of 5.14 over 2 games (7 innings), but his experience in the first team is a strong point.

Since finishing as runners-up in the 2022 Korean Series, Kiwoom has seen many star players, such as Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco) and Kim Hye-sung (Dodgers), transition to Major League Baseball. The team has languished at the bottom of the league for the past two consecutive years and is mentioned as a likely candidate for the bottom position this year as well. However, to fill the void left by the star players, many young players are receiving opportunities and developing. With expectations for the growth of its prospects, fans are eager to see what Kiwoom will show this season.

[OSEN]