"There's another one besides Ha Hyunseung."' KKKKKKKK against Gyeongnam High School, Kim Min-seo of Busan High School 'Why' ace goal? "You can overpower the line."" [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Min-seo (18), the first starter of Busan High School, aimed for an ace in the professional league as well.

Kim Min-seo is a right-hander with a strong physical condition of 189 centimeters tall, weighing 92 kilograms based on the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA). Last year, he was a real player in the semifinals of the Blue Dragon Open at Busan High School. He led the team to the semifinals by pitching well against Gangneung High School, Sebojeon High School, and Seoul High School with various breaking balls as his main weapon.

This year, he will lead the mound of Busan High School as a one-two punch with Ha Hyun-seung (18) of the same class. Kim Min-seo's strengths, which KBO scouts cite, are stable control and game management ability. Although the fastball speed is not fast with an average speed of 140 kilometers per hour, he knows how to play long innings by using curves and sliders with stable control.

Kim Min-seo, who contacted Star News before the start of the weekend league, said, "Last year, I was less arrested than I thought, so I focused on increasing my power through weight training this winter. In addition, he explained, "I did a lot of research to throw the ball to the end without losing momentum during the pitching mechanism process."

This year, the company plans to use splitters in earnest while increasing fastball constraints. Kim Min-seo said, "The fastball speed came up to 145km this winter. I'm trying to throw up to 150 kilometers per hour during the season," he said with strength. "Until last year, my main weapon was a curve. However, as I played the season, I thought it would be good to have one ball falling against the left-handed batter, so I honed the splitter. I keep looking for the best grip for my hand while watching a lot of videos of players who throw splitters well," he added.

It seems that the effect of fierce training throughout the winter is already being revealed. Kim Min-seo started against his local rival Gyeongnam High School in the first half of the 2026 high school baseball weekend league at Hyundai Motor Dream Ball Park in Gijang, Busan on the 14th and recorded two hits, seven strikeouts and one run in three ⅔ innings.

This year's Gyeongnam High School is a team that attracts attention with its strong batting lineup. Center fielder and captain Park Bo-seung (18) and third baseman Lee Ho-min (18) are expected to be the top picks in the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft. Second-year outfielder Lee Tae-soo (17) has already secured a clean-up with fast bat speed and long hit. On the other hand, Busan High School is still looking forward to the performance of Ha Hyun-seung, a third-year left-hander who is considered the No. 1 overall pick. Under such circumstances, Kim Min-seo's early lead also played a big role in Busan High School's ability to take over Gyeongnam High School after a close game that lasted until the 11th inning.

On this day, Kim Min-seo silenced Gyeongnam High School's batters with a bold game and compliance with his control. From the first inning, he struck out all three batters and gained momentum. Lee Ho-min and Lee Ho-min were also impressive. In the second inning, Lee Ho-min struck out three pitches, and in the fourth inning, he struck out swinging on the same course to get an out count. After that, Ha Hyun-seung took the mound and pitched seven ⅓ innings with three hits, two walks, 10 strikeouts, and two runs (0 earned run) to become the winning pitcher.

Like his introduction and wish, Kim Min-seo is said to have certain qualities as a starting pitcher. Kim Min-seo said, "I think the starting pitcher is attractive in that he can take the lead from the first inning and bring the flow of the game to our side. Role models are Ahn Woo-jin (Kiwoom) and Moon Dong-ju (Hanwha). In particular, Moon Dong-ju said, "I have a lot to learn because the pitching form is pretty."

"I am confident in the management of the game (not the fastball pitcher). However, he is good at throwing breaking balls because he has a good sense of fingertips. I think I can be like two seniors because the arrest is also coming up. I want to continue to do well and become a player who can take responsibility for long innings," he stressed.

A first-year elementary school Busan boy watched Kang Min-ho's grand slam at Sajik Baseball Stadium in 2016 and dreamed of becoming a baseball player despite his parents' opposition. Now, my goal is to become a confident professional player to my parents who have been a strong supporter.

Kim Min-seo said, "I feel reassured to have Hyun-seung (Ha). From the side, he is good at baseball, but he has a lot to learn and is a good friend who instills motivation. "I will aim to win Busan High School's national championship and nominate the top round this year with Hyun-seung," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.