Kim Taek-yeon is the rookie of the year, both on the field and at the front office.
Sports Chosun polled 50 people, including managers, coaches, and key players from 10 clubs, to determine the rookie of the year for the first half of the season (excluding their own clubs).
Kim was voted the No. 1 rookie of the year with 39 votes, more than half of the total.
After graduating from Incheon High School, Kim was selected by Doosan in the first round (second overall) of the 2024 rookie draft. In 13 games at Incheon High, Kim went 7-1 with a 1.13 ERA, striking out 97 batters and walking just 10 in 64 1/3 innings pitched. Doosan took note of his ability to boldly put fastballs in the strike zone, often in the mid-100 mph range. Despite his high velocity pitches, his command is solid enough that he can get outs in crunch time.
Even with the No. 2 overall pick, Doosan was willing to take Kim even with the No. 1 pick. They offered him a contract worth 350 million won, the same as Hwang Jun-seo, the No. 1 overall pick.
Doosan projected him as their next closer at the time of the draft, but his opportunity came quickly. Kim showed promise early on, and Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop put his trust in him, saying, “In a crisis, (Kim) is the first person I think of.”
Moved to the closer’s role in the middle of the season,
Kim settled in well. In 38 games in the first half of the season, he went 2-0 with eight saves and four holds for a 2.35 ERA.
The A team manager, who named Kim the Rookie of the Year for the first half of the season, said, “He is doing a great job closing the team, which is not easy for a rookie,” while the B team manager said, “He is a rookie, but he is showing a veteran-like performance in the bullpen. His performance is also excellent.”
While Kim received the overwhelming majority of votes, 카지노사이트 there are a few players who could make a late-season run for Rookie of the Year.
Leading the way is Park Ji-hwan, who was selected by SSG Landers in the first round (10th overall) of the 2024 Rookie Draft.
In 32 games this season, he’s batting 3-for-6 with two home runs and six doubles.
He missed about a month with a fractured saguaro finger in late April, but he made his presence felt in 19 games in June, batting 4-for-1 and earning seven votes.
“They are doing a good job of fulfilling their roles without any ups and downs among the rookies,” explained the batter who voted for Kim Taek-yeon and Park Ji-hwan.
In third place was Cho Byung-hyun, who recently struck out 10 batters in a row, tying Lee Dae-jin (Haetae) for the most consecutive batters struck out in a row. Kim Bum-seok (LG), who showed off his batting prowess early in the season, received one vote.
Hwang Jun-seo, who went 2-7 with a 4.77 ERA in 17 games this season, also received one vote to remain atop the overall list. On March 31, Hwang threw five innings of one-run ball against the KT Wiz to become the 10th high school rookie in history to win his debut.