Rookie right-handed pitcher Kim Dong-kyu (19), who joined the Kiwoom Heroes from the LG Twins, had an impressive pitching performance in his debut for the Futures Kiwoom.
Kim started the game against the SSG Future Team in the 2023 KBO Futures League at Chuncheon Stadium on April 4. Kim Dong-kyu, who came to Kiwoom along with Lee Ju-hyung on March 29, pitched his first game in a Kiwoom uniform.
It wasn’t bad. He pitched well. He didn’t get the win, but he pitched five innings of four-hit ball with one walk and three strikeouts. He threw a total of 67 pitches. There were 38 strikes and 29 balls.
There was no major crisis. In the first inning, Kim struck out Kim Jung-min and walked Kim Chan-hyung and Choi Hyang. In the second, Han Yoo-seom singled up the middle, but Jeon Jeon-won popped out to center field. He then gave up a walk to Jeon Eui-san but got Kim Kyu-nam to fly out to shortstop.
In the third, he got Chae Hyun-woo to fly out to the catcher. He gave up a single to Kim Min-jun and struck out Kim Jung-min, but gave up a single up the middle to Kim Chan-hyung. With runners in scoring position, Choi grounded out to the first baseman 먹튀검증.
Kim Dong-kyu, who ended the fourth inning with a triple, walked Kim Kyu-nam and Chae Hyun-woo in the fifth, then gave up a single to Kim Min-joon but got Kim Jung-min to fly out to left field. He turned the mound over to Ha Young-min to start the sixth inning.
According to Kiwoom, Kim threw more than 80 percent of his pitches on the day were fastballs. He threw 51 fastballs, with a mix of curves, sliders, and a forkball. His fastball reached up to 147 kilometers.
Drafted by LG in the 2023 second round with the 17th overall pick, Kim Dong-kyu is a 6-foot-5 right-hander from Seoul’s Chungcheongcho, Youngnamjung, and Seongnam High School. Before coming to Kiwoom, he went 3-5 with a 4.08 ERA in nine Futures League games (eight starts, one relief appearance). He also made his first-team debut on June 10 against the Hanwha Eagles, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits in 0.1 innings.
When we met recently, Kiwoom manager Hong Won-ki said, “Kim Dong-kyu has been in the starting rotation for the Futures. It’s also my job to help young players like Kim Dong-kyu develop into alternate starters.”
After making his Kiwoom debut in the Futures League, Kim Dong-kyu is now looking forward to making his first-team debut.