KIA manager Kim Jong-kook replied on the 14th that he had received a report when asked if he had exchanged opinions with the front desk on the nomination of the first round after the 2024 KBO rookie draft. It is impossible for the first-tier coaching staff to know the advantages and disadvantages of high school and college amateur players in detail. Therefore, it is usually left to scout organizations and the front desk. However, KIA’s choice was tilted to one of the two early on, although it is common to talk about the rough direction with the field coach.
Among them, KIA nominated Gangneung High School right-hander Cho Dae-hyun. KBO scouts generally say that after Jang Hyun-seok (LA Dodgers), who was selected as the biggest fish, announced his entry into the Major League, the rookie draft “TOP 5” had been decided to some extent as of September. If so, it means that the nominations of the rest of the clubs could have changed depending on the choice of KIA, which has the sixth nomination right, and KIA also chose Cho Dae-hyun without much change. 바카라
KIA focused on strengthening right-handed power in this rookie draft. Left-handers judged that they had secured some amount of drafts in recent years. In fact, KIA is the only native starter (Yang Hyun-jong, Lee Eui-ri, Yoon Young-chul) to be left-handed. Choi Ji-min, the top nominee in the bullpen, also revealed his potential this year, and Kim Ki-hoon, the first nominee in 2019, is also there. It is considered a left-handed powerhouse, but right-handedness also needed to be balanced. Cho Dae-hyun is the rising star.
Cho Dae-hyun boasts a robust physique of 193cm and 90kg. Scouts are very high-scoring players when it comes to physical ability. It is evaluated that if you go through systematic training in a professional, you may become more powerful. He throws a fastball of 151 kilometers per hour at a high RBI. KIA believes that stamina is also good. The team sees it as a starting resource.
Head coach Kim also said, “I think there is a high possibility,” adding, “In the beginning, my speed came out fast, but I was reported that I would be a good player if I manage my physical strength well.” This suggests that the KIA front is not looking at Cho Dae-hyun in such a hurry. A team scout said, “Yoon Young-chul and Cho Dae-hyun, who were nominated a year ago, are different. “If Yoon Young-chul is an immediate power, Cho Dae-hyun is a player who will take time,” he said.
However, KIA’s advantage is that it can afford to wait for that time. Lee Eui-ri has already settled in the starting lineup. Lee Eui-ri’s potential itself is already at the top of the KBO League, as it is a matter of whether he grows more or not. He has also won 24 games over the past three years. Yoon Young-chul, who is close to a real-life pitcher, also hinted at the possibility by going around the starting rotation this year. There is a regret over the fast ball speed, but the game management, breaking ball skills, and senses all received passing points.
KIA doesn’t have to look at Cho Dae-hyun in such a hurry because there are Lee Eui-ri and Yoon Young-chul who were nominated earlier. Unlike Yoon Young-chul, KIA insiders are known to have a plan to make it after watching it for one to two years through systematic training. It can throw 150km right now, but some say that it is a timber that can throw up to the mid 150km range if it is well grown. The work of making the bowl is expected to take place step by step.
If the project to make a right-handed starting pitcher, led by Cho Dae-hyun, is successfully completed within two to three years, the KIA starters could be a sustainable rotation along with Lee Eui-ri and Yoon Young-chul. Of course, it’s not as easy as it sounds, but we can look forward to it considering the flow of KIA, where the top nominees have settled a little faster in the first division than other teams. Kim Ki-hoon (first round in 2019), Jung Hae-young (first round in 2020), Lee Eui-ri (first round in 2021), Kim Do-young (first round in 2022), Choi Ji-min (first round in 2022), and Yoon Young-chul (first round in 2023) are such cases.