"Kim Seo-hyun, if you don't want to fix your form, just throw well." Yet again, the 'walk→run' pattern emerges; '7 consecutive walks' in the Futures League as well

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Seo-hyun (22, Hanwha Eagles), who declined to modify his pitching form, is struggling to improve his control even in the minor leagues.

On the 10th, in a 2026 Medihill KBO Futures League away game against Goyang Heroes at the Goyang National Baseball Stadium in Gyeonggi Province, Kim Seo-hyun entered in the bottom of the seventh inning and threw 30 pitches over 1⅔ innings, allowing one hit, one walk, and one earned run.

Selected first overall by Hanwha in the 2023 rookie draft and signing for a contract money of 500 million won, Kim Seo-hyun experienced ups and downs but secured a spot as Hanwha's closer last season with 33 saves.

However, he has suffered severe struggles early this season, losing his closer role and failing to find stability even in low-pressure situations. After recording 12 games, 8 innings, one win, two losses, one save, and an ERA of 12.38 in the first division this season, he was sent to the minor leagues for the second time this season on the 13th of last month.

After returning to the minor leagues, Kim Seo-hyun pitched a perfect inning in his first game against SSG Landers on the 16th, but has since allowed seven consecutive walks and has been unable to stabilize his control easily.

Kim Seo-hyun's unique dynamic form poses challenges for batters, but it is also true that his control is difficult to master. There is a significant difference even when looking at the aspect of head stability, which is characteristic of pitchers with consistent control.

Manager Kim Kyung-moon stated that the pitching coach had suggested a form modification, but Kim Seo-hyun declined. He expressed hope that Kim could solve the issue of stabilizing his control directly in the minor leagues.

Previously, many legends offered advice on Kim Seo-hyun's pitching form. Yoon Suk-min said, "It's a limitation of his pitching stance. It is not fundamentally a stance that allows for accurate throwing." Oh Seung-hwan also indicated that some modification is essential, stating, "Rather than making drastic changes to his form, it is important to maintain a consistent release point."

Among them, Kim Byung-hyun, who recorded 86 saves only in Major League Baseball, said, "If you want to throw with your form, just throw well. But the team is shaken, the fans who support you are shaken, and you yourself are shaken. It's a situation of being too greedy." He added forcefully, "If you keep throwing with this form, what could happen is that you could break, snap, or tear. You can hold on to it now because you have strength, but if you go beyond that limit at some point, there is a problem that could lead to a major injury."

Kim Seo-hyun, who has not made any changes to his pitching form, appears to be unable to find a clear solution. The same was true on this day. Entering in the bottom of the seventh inning with his team trailing 1-2, Kim Seo-hyun recorded Yang Hyeon-jong with a pitcher's grounder, Yeom Seung-won with a second baseman's grounder, and Park Han-gyeol with a third baseman's grounder, easily completing one inning.

However, the eighth inning was problematic. After turning leadoff batter Ju Seong-won into a second baseman's grounder, Kim Seo-hyun allowed a walk to Chu Jae-hyun after a full count. Following a walk by Yoo Jeong-taek, he gave up a single to Won Seong-jun with two outs and a runner on second base, resulting in one run. Later, in Choi Jae-young's at-bat, a defensive error occurred. With two outs and runners on first and second, Gong Jong-hyeok, who received the ball, allowed a walk to Yang Hyeon-jong, who was then retired with a pitcher's grounder, preventing additional runs.

Walks were the culprit for the runs allowed today as well, though his ERA dropped slightly from 5.73 to 5.68. This indicates that he has allowed a significant number of runs over time. While his batting average against is only 0.213, he still issues 7.11 walks per nine innings. This is the reason he cannot be easily recalled to the first division.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.