*This content was translated by AI.
"Who else is this?"
Masan High School is considered a dark horse by KBO scouts this year because of its veiled one-two punch.
The rumor began with the "2nd Sunshine Bae Ama Baseball Strongest Match" held in Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do, in November last year. According to an Ama baseball official, the teams that received attention in the tournament were the winning teams Masan Yongmago and Masango. Masan Yongmago boasted of its iron wall mound, which kept six games scoreless from the second game to the final. Masan High School's left-hander Lee Yoon-sung (18) and right-hander Kim Kyung-rok (18) had a strong impact.
Lee Yun-seong threw a maximum speed of 152km/h and Kim Kyung-rok threw 154km/h, surprising scouts who gathered to watch the competition. Among them, Kim Kyung-rok was close to obscurity, unlike Lee Yun-seong, who was known to know by throwing a fast ball over 143km since he was a freshman.
Kim Kyung-rok, who played three games and three ⅔ innings for a year and a half at the Korea Water Bank, transferred to Masan High School in July last year. Due to a six-month suspension (disciplinary action due to transfer during the season), he failed to play in official tournaments such as the weekend league. Miryang Sunshine Bae was actually his first debut as a member of Masan High School.
At this time, KBO scout A, who first encountered Kim Kyung-rok, said, "There is also profitability in Masan High School, but Kim Kyung-rok is worth watching. Although he did not appear in many games in the water safe (even in a long time), he easily threw a mid-to-late 140km ball. We are also trying to check it this time," he hinted.
Another KBO scout B also said, "I remember receiving attention in Miryang last year. I threw up to 154 kilometers, and I'm going to check again this winter league," he said. "I also think that's why Masan High School can be part of the strong team this year. There are not many teams with a left-hander 150km and a right-hander 150km one-two punch. In addition, fielders have gained experience by playing many games since the lower grades. I'm looking forward to it because there are fastball pitchers here," he added.
No wonder the scouts were taken aback. Kim Kyung-rok was an ordinary pitcher who did not even come out of 140 kilometers per hour when he was in Dongwon Middle School in Gyeongsangnam-do. Ko Yoon-sung (44), manager of Masan High School, also said, "In fact, (Kim) Kyung-rok was not a noticeable player in middle school. But when I saw him again after going to school, he grew up fast. He recalled that he had a desire to play baseball better, so he transferred to school.
The player himself did not know the reason for the sudden growth. He was just an ordinary Lotte Giants fan who had been a player since the fifth grade of elementary school because he was born and raised by his parents, not from an athlete.
He is also 184 centimeters tall and weighs 85 kilograms, but he has become a prospect who can easily throw 150 kilometers per hour. Kim Kyung-rok, who recently met Star News at the Masan High School playground, said, "I only worked hard to make my body, except for throwing a practice game once during the break. I focused on increasing the speed of the body itself," he said.
"I also aimed to gain weight this winter, but I've already achieved that. That's why we're focusing on weight training to keep it to the end, flexibility and mobility training to avoid injury," he added.
The 154km/h of the Miryang Sunshine Boat was a surprising arrest. Kim Kyung-rok said, "At the beginning of the first year, I threw 136 kilometers per hour. Then, in the second half, it came out to 145km and took the first 150km in the early second year of high school. Even in Miryang, I threw hard with the idea of just throwing my ball in the middle, but the ball came out well," he said with an awkward smile.
The Winter League, which starts on February 1, is Kim Kyung-rok's first stage as the main player. To that end, he is currently refining his pitches by referring to the video of role model Tatsuya Imai (28, Houston Astros). Kim Kyung-rok is honing curves and splitters with fastballs and sliders as his main weapons.
Kim Kyung-rok said, "I refer to Japanese Imai player videos a lot. "I try to resemble a player who throws a strong fastball and catches a batter well with a slider while taking a short movement," he said. "This year, my goal is to throw up to 157 kilometers per hour." He also stressed that he is increasing slider ball speed and improving curve completion.
My dream is to make Masan High School's evaluation of being a dark horse this year a reality with my friend Lee Yoon-sung. Kim Kyung-rok said, "The first goal is, of course, our school's national championship. Personally, I want to throw 157 kilometers per hour and get a first-round pick," he said.
He said, "If I go to the KBO League like that, I want to meet Ahn Woo-jin. I want to know how the ball is so good and you can easily catch a batter. As a batter, I want to face Kim Do-young. He said, "I'm the best hitter in the league and it's not easy, so I think it'll be thrilling to catch more."
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*This content was translated by AI.
