Kiwoom Trustworthy Man Kim Seong-min “I’m Not a Great Person… I’m Comfortable with the ABS”
Kim Seong-min (30), a left-handed pitcher for the professional baseball team Kiwoom Heroes, has had a refreshing start to the second half of the season.
In the game against Hanwha Eagles held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 9th, Kim Seong-min came on the mound in the top of the 8th inning with the team trailing 2-3 and struck out the 2nd to 4th batters Jang Jin-hyeok, Jonathan Peraza, and Ahn Chi-hong.
Before that, Ferrazza had been hitting hard with 2 hits in 3 at-bats (1 home run) and Ahn Chi-hong had 3 hits in 3 at-bats (1 home run), so Kim Seong-min’s pitching was even more valuable. 토토사이트 추천
And when Hanwha self-destructed in the bottom of the 8th, Kim Seong-min earned his 3rd win of the season (1 loss, 10 holds).
Hanwha drew 3 walks, loaded the bases with 1 out, and then lost 3-5 due to catcher Lee Jae-won’s fastball, Kiwoom’s Ko Young-woo’s infield hit, and 3rd baseman Ha Ju-seok’s throwing error.
Kim Seong-min, who has an ERA of 1.64 in 31 games so far, cited the Automatic Pitch Judgement System (ABS) as a factor in his rebound this year.
Kim Seong-min, who said, “I’m not that great,” said, “(In the past) when a pitch that seemed like a strike became a ball, I would waver a lot.
But with the ABS framework, I was able to be more aggressive.”
He then looked back and said, “I think it led to good results because I was able to throw comfortably without feeling burdened.”
In fact, Kim Seong-min, who rarely throws balls exceeding 140 km/h, effectively manages batters with his bold pitches and low arm angle as his main weapons.
Kim Seong-min said, “I know very well that I am not a player who can strike out batters by threatening them with my pitches,” and “I try not to give out many walks and go as aggressive as possible.”
When asked about the similarity in style between him and Oh Joo-won, the current pitching coach for Kiwoom, who retired in 2021, he said with a smile, “He gave me a lot of advice both when I was a player and after he became a coach, so I think that must have had an influence.”
Coach Oh Joo-won was drafted by Hyundai Unicorns, the predecessor of Kiwoom, in the 2nd round of the 2004 rookie draft, and has recorded 41 wins, 57 losses, 84 holds, 25 saves, and an ERA of 4.67 in 584 games through 2021.