"Kim Young-woo is also in danger." Yum Kyung-yeop shouted 'opposite' alone at the prospect of successful rookie in the 10th place. Why was the winning head coach cautious

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) pointed out "jackpot rookie" Kim Young-woo (21) as a risk factor in 2026.

"Im Chan-kyu, Lee Jung-yong, Kim Young-woo, Lee Joo-heon, Oh Ji-hwan and Yoo Hyun-hyun will start first on the 12th as Arizona camp starters," the LG club said ahead of the first 2026 spring camp in Arizona from mid-January.

Kim Young-woo was also included this time, with a small number of people leaving the country every year under the leadership of the players after COVID-19. Kim Young-woo is a big prospect who is said to have contributed greatly to LG's fourth integrated victory last year. He played only 31 innings in 14 games in high school due to his thick depth and elbow ligament joint surgery (Tommy John Surgery) history when he was in Seoul High School.

Nine teams passed Kim Young-woo, who showed nothing. Thanks to this, LG, the winning team in 2023, was able to be selected as the 10th in the first round of the 2025 KBO Rookie Draft. The fast ball with a maximum speed of 156 kilometers per hour and the overwhelming ball was noticeable from the spring camp. Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop classified Kim Young-woo as a key resource in the future early on to gain experience in winning. Starting with what was included in the opening entry, he played games that were less burdensome regardless of victory or defeat.

As a result, he rose to a certain winning group in the second half of the regular season, marking 66 games, 3 wins, 2 losses, 7 holds, 1 save, an ERA of 2.40 and 56 strikeouts in 60 innings. If it weren't for the outstanding candidates, it was enough to aim for the Rookie of the Year award. In the Korean Series, he recorded zero ERA with one hold without winning or losing two games (⅔ innings) and contributed to the overall championship. It is true that many baseball officials expected Kim Young-woo next year as he grew step by step.

However, manager Yeom Kyung-yeop's opinion was a little different. Coach Yeom met with reporters at the LG New Year's greeting on the 6th and said, "We judge (Kim) Young-woo as very dangerous. Most of them think Young-woo will do well this year, but I think he can go the other way," he shook his head.

It wasn't just a second-year jinx. Coach Yeom said, "I'm not sure (Kim) Young-woo has got the hang of it yet. The practice method is very important, but the acceleration and growth can only be achieved next year. If we don't do that, we don't know what will happen again," he said.

In fact, it was easy to find players with poor performance even though they performed well for one to two years. Baek Seung-hyun (31) is also an example of this at LG. Baek Seung-hyun, who turned from a fielder to a pitcher late, recorded a career high with a 1.58 ERA with two wins, 11 losses and three saves in 42 games in 2023, his third year of transition.

Baek Seung-hyun was also expected to play the next year as a leading player in the championship, but he had a difficult day with a 9.11 ERA in 36 games in 2024. Last year, he is gradually recovering his skills when he improved with a 3.90 ERA in 33 games.

Moreover, Kim Young-woo asked not to get too drunk on a brief performance as he did not have much experience in the game since childhood. Manager Yeom said, "This is why it is very difficult to foster players. It is clear that (Kim) Young-woo had a good experience last year. It is the most important goal of this camp to create such continuity of Kim Young-woo," he stressed.

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*This content was translated by AI.