A fifth starter who rivals the ace has emerged.
The defending Kia Tigers have played five opening games. In a two-game opening series against the NC Dinos, they recorded one win and one loss, and in a three-game series against the Kiwoom Heroes, they recorded one win and two losses. Although they were regarded as a top team, the unexpected hamstring injury to Kim Do-young and the knee injury to Park Chan-ho during the opening game severely impacted their performance in both offense and defense. However, there were also some positives amidst the difficulties. One of them was the impressive performance of right-hander Kim Do-hyun, who is challenging for his first full-time start at 24.
Five starting pitchers took the mound. James Neel began strong with five innings of scoreless pitching. Yang Hyun-jong allowed four runs in five innings. Although his speed has not yet fully returned, he persevered with his experience. The new foreign player Adam Oliva also had a strong start, securing a quality start and a victory with his impressive slurve and changeup.
Yoon Young-cheol, who was designated as the fourth starter, had a disappointing outing. He pitched just two innings against Kiwoom in Gwangju on the 26th, giving up six runs (two earned). With two outs and runners on first and third in the second inning, a defensive error led to giving up six runs, but it was not reflective of his stable pitching and command that he showed during the spring games. This was attributed to the pressure of his first appearance. With Yoon Young-cheol collapsing, KIA suffered a significant defeat, 17-10.
The pitching of fifth starter Kim Do-hyun was dazzling. He delivered the best performance among the starting rotation. On the 27th in Gwangju, against Kiwoom, who boasts the highest team batting average, he held them to four hits and two runs over six innings. Unfortunately, errors by the third baseman and shortstop resulted in those two runs, all of which were unearned. If there had been no errors, he could have gone without giving up any runs. He threw only 81 pitches, accurately maintaining the ideal pitch count of 15 pitches per inning.
With a powerful fastball, he effectively utilized a two-seamer to induce ground balls, along with curveballs and changeups, to dominate Kiwoom's hitters. He kept the foreign batters, Cardenas and Puig, hitless. Even though he is not yet at 100% condition, he performed remarkably. He broke three bats of Kiwoom's hitters, reaching a top speed of 148 km/h. If he recovers to 150 km/h, he is expected to be even more formidable.
Kim Do-hyun competed for the fifth starter spot against Hwang Dong-ha. Manager Lee Bum-ho selected Kim Do-hyun, who excels at throwing curveballs, after the ABS strike zone was adjusted downward. He consistently showed stable pitching throughout the spring camp and exhibition games. In his first start of the season, he impressed with a quality start, meeting the manager's expectations. He was a fifth starter who rivals the ace.
After completing military service, he returned last year and impressively showed speed improvements in the second team, earning an immediate call-up to the first team. He started as a reliever but was selected as a substitute starter when a gap appeared in the starting rotation. In 10 starts, he mainly pitched about five innings and contributed to the team's championship. However, last year's quality starts were limited to just one. This year, starting as a starter, he achieved a quality start right from the first game. Kim Do-hyun's outstanding performance represents a significant opportunity for KIA in activating a strong starting rotation.
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