Hwang Dong-ha, 'KIA V12 Lead Role', is not afraid of competition for the 5th starter..."I'm preparing for it with confidence"
Hwang Dong-ha, 'KIA V12 Lead Role', is not afraid of competition for the 5th starter..."I'm preparing for it with confidence"
Blog Article
KIA Tigers right-hander Young-gun and Hwang Dong-ha expressed strong confidence in the competition to become the fifth starting pitcher for the 2025 season. He aims to enter the starting rotation based on his experience last year.메이저사이트
Hwang Dong-ha held his fourth bullpen session since the start of the spring camp at Great Park Ballpark in Irvine, Orange County, California on the 8th (local time).
Immediately after pitching in the bullpen, Hwang Dong-ha said, "I feel so good. I feel like I'm in good shape. So far, I feel so good."
Born in 2002, Hwang Dong-ha graduated from Simsang High School in 2022 and joined Kia in the seventh round of the second round of the rookie draft, ranking 65th overall. In 2023, when he made his debut season in the first division, he felt the pressure of playing professional baseball with three losses and an ERA of 6.61 in 13 games, 31 ⅓ innings.
In the 2024 season, Hwang showed unexpected rapid growth. He pitched better than expected with five wins, seven losses and an earned run average of 4.44 in 103 ⅓ innings in 25 games (21 starts).
Soon after the opening of the 2024 season, Kia faced a series of unfavorable factors such as Lee Eui-ri and Yoon Young-chul, who were left with injuries. Manager Lee Bum-ho boldly gave Hwang a chance, and Hwang did not miss the opportunity that he had come to.
As a fifth starter, Hwang contributed to Kia's No. 1 ranking in the pennant race in the 2024 season. In the Korean Series against Samsung Lions, Hwang took the mound in two games and allowed no runs in one ⅓.
In recognition of Hwang's performance in the 2024 season, Kia paid him an annual salary of 100 million won (approx. "The off-season club cared a lot about his salary. I was able to prepare for the new season by encouraging him more," Hwang said with a smile.
Hwang Dong-ha is also aiming to enter the fifth starting pitcher in the 2025 season. He says he has to go through fierce competition, but his confidence is ahead of his fear.
KIA will have the opening rotation of its first to fourth starting pitchers including ace James Nail, new foreign pitcher Adam Oler, native ace Yang Hyeon-jong and third-year left-hander Young-gun and Yoon Young-chul. In the case of the fifth starting pitcher, as many as three players, including Hwang Dong-ha and Kim Do-hyun, and Super Rookie Kim Tae-hyung, are competing for one spot.
Since the start of the U.S. spring camp on Oct. 25, Hwang has shown off his sharp pitching every time he throws a bullpen session, drawing favorable reviews from coaching staff including Lee Bum-ho. The player himself has been sweating hard throughout the winter to keep up with the five starting pitchers competition.
"Since the first bullpen session in the spring camp, I have made every effort to display 100% of my physical condition," Hwang said. "I think the coach liked this part," Hwang said vigorously. "You can see that I am in good shape enough to play games right now."
"Last year, I was not sure if I would be able to play in many games. This year, I am preparing as a starting pitcher from the beginning, so I am trying to be more confident," he said. "I rested well during the off-season and tried to strengthen my physical strength during the rest of the year."
As for the outcome of the competition, I intend to humbly accept it. As a player, I plan to do my best in my position and prepare to take the mound at any time according to the usage that the team wants.
Hwang Dong-ha said, "Even if I fail to make the fifth starting pitcher, I have no choice. With the mindset of leaving it to fate, I think I just have to work hard in my position while waiting for the coach's choice."