LG, the '160km native selection' of dreams, will not give up. "Let's pay more attention to the completion of the breaking ball." The 21-year-old right-hander also received it

*This content was translated by AI.

Will a native starting pitcher who throws a 160km/h fastball be born in the LG Twins. First of all, Kim Young-woo (21), who started well, is looking forward to the 2026 season.

Kim Young-woo is a right-handed fireballer prospect who was selected as the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 KBO Rookie Draft after graduating from Seoul High School. In his third year of high school, when he returned to his career in elbow ligament joint surgery (Tommy John Surgery), he was already recognized for his possibility by throwing a fast ball of 156 kilometers per hour.

LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58), who recognized his potential early on, boldly hired him from the first-tier spring camp to the opening game entry. Manager Yeom explained the background during last year's spring camp and said, "It takes time for a young pitcher to grow into a starter. We have to see how baseball works as (Son) Joo-young builds up his first-team experience for one or two years in the bullpen together," he said.

"If you take care of your confidence while developing pitches, it will be much easier to adapt as a starter later. (Kim) Young-woo also expressed his expectation, saying, "If we add the ball type mechanically, I think we have enough qualifications to be in the top three starters as a domestic player."

Kim Young-woo's first season, which entered the market like that, was simply a big hit. He recorded 3 wins, 2 losses, 7 holds, 1 save, an ERA of 2.40 and 56 strikeouts in 60 innings in 66 regular-season games without leaving the first team. In particular, it was difficult to guarantee the top spot in the regular season without Kim Young-woo's performance, who rose to the must-win group in the second half. In his first Korean series, he also became a lucky man to contribute to the championship in his first year after his debut, recording a 0 ERA with one hold without winning or losing two games (⅔ innings). Even though the muscle strength was not properly built yet, he threw a fast ball of up to 158 kilometers per hour, raising expectations for next season.

Of course, there is still a long way to go. It is clear that he threw with a lot of management, and his ball control, which has 4.5 walks per 9 innings, is also a part to be fixed. I know it myself. Kim Young-woo said, "I want to develop continuity. I felt my physical strength drop in the second half of the season. That part needs to be supplemented the most. In the second half of the year, the number of walks decreased a lot, but there were quite a lot of walks in the first half, so I felt that those parts needed to be supplemented systematically."

Kim Young-woo has been focusing on weight training and mobility (mobility, flexibility) exercises since the off-season in order to keep his pitching and speed from falling. In the second year, when he has been focusing only on baseball for more than a month, LG's coaches are in the midst of controlling their speed. He said, "Coaches, coaches, conditioning coaches are also telling us to improve our skills so that we don't get sick. So I'm trying not to overface my body as much as possible right now, and I'm very good at the moment," he said with a smile.

As such, the club's expectations are felt out of sight. When asked what part he talked about the most with the coaches, Kim Young-woo replied, "Coaches have told me a lot as long as I don't get sick." He said, "In terms of technology, the fastball speed is still okay now, and it can go up further later." (Rather) he said, "He wanted to pay more attention to the completeness of the breaking ball and the control of the fastball so that the strike zone can be divided and used."

In fact, Kim Young-woo is one of the most likely pitchers to exceed 160km/h. In addition, the splitter's movement is not bad, so he is also expected as a starting pitcher. Elaborate breaking balls are essential for doubling the power of powerful fastballs and for a leisurely game operation. Fortunately, there was some progress thanks to the advance team and early preparation. Kim Young-woo said, "My usual strengths are fastball pitching and speed. There's still a lot to be desired. However, the completeness and movement figures of the splitter improved in the camp. I think this is positive," he said with a smile.

Right now, proving stamina through full-season physical strength and full-fledged struggles is the top priority. The league's most solid LG native starters, including Lim Chan-kyu, Son Joo-young and Song Seung-ki, were also made over the years step by step. LG knows better than anyone how difficult it is to create a solid starting pitcher, so LG is not in a hurry. Kim Young-woo, who has just taken his first step, has also received the meaning.

Kim Young-woo said, "The most important thing I think is not to get sick. Of course, the top priority is to finish well in the camp without getting sick. "If I think about other goals after that, I want to sharpen the completeness of breaking balls such as splitters and sliders."

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*This content was translated by AI.