*This content was translated by AI.
It's only been a few months since he turned from outfielder to pitcher, but college baseball managers and KBO scouts are constantly interested. This is the story of right-hander Kim Dan (18) at Hwimungo.
Director Oh Tae-geun (48) of Hwimungo recently met with Star News at Hwimungo Stadium and said, "University directors are interested in seeing (Kim) Dan and saying, 'The child is small but very good.' There are already directors who ask me to send them to our school if I can't go to the professional program," he said with a smile.
In conclusion, college baseball managers' wishes are likely to end up as only hope. This is because Kim Dan of Hwimungo is already a prospect who has been spotted on the scouting radar of multiple KBO clubs. Kim Dan was 185cm tall and weighed 83kg based on the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA), and he had a relatively small physique to pitch.
It's only been a year since I started pitching in earnest. Even after entering Hwimungo, he played as an outfielder until his freshman year and later changed his position to a pitcher last winter. However, his performance as a pitcher was better than expected. He had a successful debut season as a pitcher with a 2.37 ERA in nine ⅔, 16 strikeouts (seven walks and six-hit balls) and a 1.05 WHIP (on-base allowed per inning).
The biggest thing about Kim Dan that scouts picked was his fastball pitching. The maximum speed was only 147 kilometers per hour, but the fastball RPM (rotation per minute) based on the trackman steadily reached 2500 and 2,600. Considering that Jung Woo-joo (20·Hanwha Eagles), who is well known for his excellent fastball pitching, has 2,600 RPM, it is worth guessing the pitch.
Coach Oh Tae-geun said, "The speed doesn't come out much yet, but he throws the ball pretty. Also, I heard from scouts that the fastball RPM is really good as a foreign pitcher. So the ball doesn't fall well until it comes to the batter box," he said.
The rumor that he is a right-hander throwing a heavy fastball, even though he is small in size, was also proved at the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Long-Term High School Fall Baseball Tournament in November last year, when all KBO team scouts and Major League scouts gathered. At the time, a KBO scout said, "Hwimungo Kim Dan is noteworthy. The fastball is better than I thought. "I'm looking forward to how I'll throw next year (2026) because the ball doesn't stretch even if I get hit," he hinted.
It wouldn't have been easy to switch from a fielder to a pitcher. In an interview with Star News, Kim Dan said, "I've been a beast since I was in the fourth grade of elementary school, and to be honest, it was very difficult. The pitcher seems to be able to keep it constant and do better if he makes a little of mine, but the fielder has repeatedly gotten better and worse. I didn't make a sudden decision, but I made it after a long period of consideration," he confessed honestly.
Fortunately, the restraint came out well because he had a good shoulder. On top of that, I'm on my way as a pitcher by gradually honing my slider, curve, fork, and change-up. Manager Oh Tae-geun said, "When I think about it, I think (Kim) Dan's personality itself matched the pitcher well. As a fielder, he seemed to have a lot of thoughts, but he was not afraid to compete with his opponent on the mound. I was glad to see the body go in without hesitation."
His growth as a pitcher is noticeable as he has the fun of making a routine one by one and the results come out. Kim Dan said, "It was my first season as a pitcher, but I wanted to gain experience for a year as I started later than others. However, the things I prepared fit perfectly and I went to a lot of games. I really didn't expect to go to so many games, but based on this experience, I'm trying to contribute to the team this year," he said with strength.
He said, "It's still important for me to fit me, such as pitching form and balance. Rather than doing weight training recklessly, I'm looking for something that suits me. Japanese pitchers such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LA Dodgers) and Daichi Ishii (Hanshin Tigers) are flexible and mobile, so they look for them a lot. I follow all the exercise accounts, so there are a lot of things I do personally. He explained, "There is nothing difficult because I also consult with the pitching coaches."
He was one of the most desperate players to win Hwimungo. Hwimungo made the final stage of the national competition for the first time in six years in the presidential boat last year, but lost to Gyeongnam High School and failed to win. Kim Dan wants to appease last year's disappointment with Byun Ji-seok and one-two punch.
Kim Dan said, "My personal goal this year is to join the professional league without getting hurt. Last year, I met Hanwha senior Jung Woo-joo at the Busan competition, and he threw a 156km/h ball. At that time, he said to the kids, 'He's definitely going to a professional.' Even when I went to the pro, I was very strong on the mound and I cheered because it was so cool," he said, expressing his shy fan sentiment.
The batter wants to meet KIA Kim Do-young. I'm a bit of a KIA fan, but Kim Do-young was the player I used the most when typing, he said. "Honestly, winning Hwimungo is my best goal this year. I really want to win, maybe because of last year's runner-up. We are preparing for this winter with that much responsibility. I'm also very excited about 2026," he said with a smile.
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*This content was translated by AI.
