According to baseball statistics site Statiz, the average speed of KIA Smilegai Yoon Young-chul (19)’s fastball this season is 137.6 kilometers.
He hasn’t averaged more than 140km per game except against Hanwha on May 24 (140.3km). In reality, Yoon’s velocity tops out at 140-141 mph.
That’s enough for a couple of clutch hits.
Nevertheless, he’s been steady in the starting lineup full-time.
In 25 games and 122⅔ innings, he went 8-7 with a 4.04 ERA, a .263 batting average, 10 home runs, a 1.40 WHIP, and seven quality starts.
After going 5-4 with a 4.08 ERA and a .258 batting average in 14 games in the first half, he went 3-3 with a 3.98 ERA and a .269 batting average in 11 games in the second half.
He didn’t show the kind of rapid decline that is common among rookies. He struggled in August and September, but only gave up more than four runs in one game.
He even had a 2.45 ERA in two starts in October.
He pitches borderline with a fastball that sits in the low 130s and relies on a slider and changeup to get him through the season.
His uncharacteristic command drew attention, but it wasn’t always reliable. He had some help from the bullpen.
Add to that a tough mentality and a perpetual smile. 바카라사이트
It’s a first season that exceeded expectations.
Manager Kim Jong-kook said before the Gwangju Samsung game on the 9th, “I didn’t think he would do this at first. I thought to myself, “I hope he can do well until the first half.”
“He put in a lot of effort. He analyzes hitters and identifies their strengths and weaknesses.
He has his own game management ability.
He’s young, but he’s smart.
His deception is good, his vertical movement is good. He has a good fastball and performed unexpectedly with a speed of less than 140 kilometers.”
Yoon ended his season with the Gwangju Samsung Electronics on Aug. 8.
He will continue to train with the first team for the rest of the season, and there is a possibility that he will participate in the final training camp after the season.
Now he needs to rest well and look to the future.
Coach Kim Jong-guk said, “Expectations are growing, but there is no guarantee that he will do well next year.
He needs to accumulate some stats.”
Kim is also cautious because he doesn’t have an ace up his sleeve yet.
It’s important to have a good offseason.
The Rookie of the Year race is out of his control anyway.
Yoon Young-chul is smart, just like Kim said. He is already preparing for the future.
When we met in Busan in mid-August, Yoon said he was working on his curveball.
He still throws it a little bit in practice, but it’s not his main pitch.
A fastball in the low 130s and a curveball in the 110-120s would give him another weapon to fight for timing.
This is something that KBS N Sports commentator Yoo Hee-kwan mentioned while commentating on Yoon’s matches this season.
Yoo believes that Yoon’s curveball will be a significant upgrade for him as he is now competitive.
Ryu Hyun-jin (a free agent) also came out this year with a slower curveball and survived in the majors.
When I mentioned this to Kim, he responded positively.
“As a starter, you need to diversify your pitches.
If he adds a curveball, he will be able to face hitters more easily.”
On the other hand, it was pointed out that he is still young and needs to work on improving his fastball.
SBS Sports commentator Lee Soon-cheol, who has been watching Yoon this season, recommended that he get his velocity up to 145 mph, and if that doesn’t work, he should delay the time he takes his hands off the glove during his pitching motion.
In other words, he should pull the arrow back far enough and then shoot.
This means that the ball will have more power.
Surprisingly, Yoon said he’s been hearing this advice since he was in high school. You have to wait and see what choice you make.
Coach Kim said, “It’s good to increase the restraint in your balance.
Even if you only average 140 kilometers, your performance will be much better,” Kim said.
As Kim points out, an important prerequisite for improving velocity is maintaining pitching balance.
Yoon has very good fingertip feel.
If he tries to increase his velocity too much and loses his good balance and rhythm, he can lose his advantage.
This can lead to a second-year jinx.
The reason why there are not many second-year jinxes these days is that coaches basically advise players to utilize their strengths.
It’s also important to have internal guidance, such as pitching coach Seo Jae-heng.