On the afternoon of the 18th, in a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers (LA) and Team Korea held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul ahead of the official opening series of the MLB, Team Korea's Kim Taek-yeon is throwing a ball vigorously in the bottom of the sixth inning with no base runners out.
Doosan Bears coach Lee Seung-yeop did not hide his expectations for Kim Taek-yeon (19, Doosan), a high school graduate rookie.
Coach Lee praised Kim Taek-yeon as a 'strong Rookie of the Year candidate' after he showed no signs of losing in a face-to-face match with LA Dodgers batters of the Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of 'Team Korea' last weekend.
Coach Lee attended the '2024 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank' KBO Media Day held at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul on the 22nd. When asked, 'Who is the strong candidate for Rookie of the Year this season?', he said, "I am sure it is Kim Taek-yeon."
Coach Lee said, “From what I have seen since spring training began on February 1st, I think Kim Taek-yeon is a player who stands out from all other players. He is such a great player that he does not fall short in any area.” “If our coaches help him adapt well, he will grow into a good player,” he praised.
Kim Taek-yeon, who was selected as the second overall pick in the first round of last year's rookie draft, went on the mound a total of three times and made two saves in the 2024 season exhibition game that ended on the 19th.
Kim Taek-yeon faced 10 batters on the first team stage, and a walk on base against Kiwoom Heroes on the 9th was all he allowed on base.
Moreover, in the match against the LA Dodgers as part of Team Korea on the 18th, he surprised everyone by striking out Teoscar Hernández and James Outman. Kim Taek-yeon is receiving a lot of attention in the U.S. after the game, so much so that even the Dodgers fan site jokes about Kim Taek-yeon, saying, “He’s already a Dodgers player.” Regarding this, Manager Lee said, “I also looked at (the Dodgers fan site). After reading that article, I felt that the major league media was also major league. “He’s really good at lip service,” he said with a smile. However, he said, “Actually, everyone’s eyes are the same. It remains to be seen how much he will grow, but if he doesn’t get hurt, I think (Kim Taek-yeon) will be able to play in the United States in a few years.” 19가이드03
No comments yet