10 wins in the first year of debut, fall baseball, and even Rookie of the Year.
The opportunity to have it all is becoming a reality. This is the story of KIA Tigers Yoon Young-cheol (19). Yoon Young-cheol, who achieved his 8th win of the season by allowing 3 runs in 5 innings against the Incheon SSG Landers on the 2nd, will reach the 10th win mark in his debut season with just 2 more wins. He has six opportunities left to pitch, and if he maintains his current pace, he is likely to achieve this goal.
Yoon Young-cheol’s achievement of multiple wins is also important to his team, KIA. KIA, which has recently improved its ranking thanks to its winning streak, is looking to cross the Maginot Line in the fall baseball season and reach third place. If Yoon Young-cheol achieves double-digit multipliers and even takes the mound in the fall baseball season, his chances of achieving Rookie of the Year will naturally increase.안전놀이터
In the history of the Tigers franchise, there is no pitcher who has won 10 games in his debut season, advanced to the postseason, and even won the Rookie of the Year Award. It is a history that even ‘Tigers retired pitcher’ Sun Dong-yeol could not achieve. Sun Dong-yeol, who debuted in 1985, showed outstanding performance with 7 wins, 4 losses, and 8 saves in 25 games and 111 innings, and an ERA of 1.70, but fell short of double-digit wins. The Rookie of the Year award also went to Lee Sun-cheol, who won the Golden Glove that year with a batting average of .304 (112 hits in 369 at-bats), 12 home runs and 50 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.799.
Young-Cheol Yoon, who was selected in the first round of the 2023 rookie draft and wore a KIA uniform, debuted with the modifier ‘the biggest left-hander in high school’. However, it is true that he received less attention than Shim Jun-seok, who chose to go to the U.S. Major League Pittsburgh Pirates, and right-handed fireballer Kim Seo-hyun (Hanwha Eagles). KIA, who confirmed his potential through spring camp, included Young-Cheol Yoon in the starting rotation, but it is true that there was a question mark over his possibility of completing the season. Yoon Young-cheol is getting closer to history as he plays the rotation under the constant management of the KIA bench.
Yoon Young-cheol, whom we met in Incheon on the 3rd, said, “There have been many games in the past month where we did not complete 5 innings. There were also unsatisfactory games, but I think yesterday was at least okay,” but he scolded himself, saying, “Still, there is a lot of room for improvement.”
Yoon Young-cheol’s highest fastball speed is only in the low 140 km/h. However, based on his outstanding pitch control, he can lead batters to bat, and his ability to strike out is not bad. Youngcheol Yoon said, “I try to make it so that batters cannot hit my ball as much as possible. The most important thing is to somehow miss the swing spot.” He said, “(The restraint) is becoming a ritual. I think it should be raised, but I don’t plan on doing it too hastily. I’m still 19 years old, and the coaches are saying, ‘You don’t have to overdo it now.’ There are still many days left to play baseball. “I plan to proceed little by little,” he said.
Even though he has 10 wins since his first year of debut and is facing a big challenge called fall baseball, Yoon Young-cheol’s heart appears unwavering. He emphasized, “I don’t have a lot of greed for 10 wins. I just throw as I’m given. If I try to be greedy, there are many things that don’t work out. I have about 6 (opportunities to pitch) left, but the most important thing is not to get hurt and throw consistently.” . Regarding fall baseball, he said, “I’ve still thought about it. It’s a stage that every player wants to step on at least once, and since it’s a big game, isn’t it a player’s dream?” He added, “We’re competing for rankings right now and it’s an important time for the team. I’m trying to focus on the season.” He said