'W' and KIA, 5 years later to ease the regret of Moon and Kim in Daejeon! Gwangju Jinheung High's Kim Min-hoon, 'Moon Dong-ju's direct junior', mentioned as a 1st-round candidate

*This content was translated by AI.

A major prospect expected to be selected in the first round has emerged at Moon Dong-ju's alma mater, Gwangju Jinheung High, where the national team right-hander (23, Hanwha Eagles) once played. The player is right-handed pitcher Kim Min-hoon (18).

Five years ago, Moon Dong-ju was a top high school prospect at Gwangju Dongseong High alongside Kim Do-young (23, KIA Tigers). The 2022 KBO Rookie Draft, when they were in their third year, was the last year the first-pick system existed. The home team KIA could select only one of the two: Kim Do-young, dubbed the second Lee Jong-beom, or Moon Dong-ju, who was expected to throw a 160 km/h fastball. This situation gave rise to the term "Moon-Kim Daejeon."

Ultimately, KIA, judging that top high school-level players rarely emerge, deliberated until the end and chose Kim Do-young. Fortunately, Kim Do-young led the 2024 Korean Series championship and was awarded the KBO MVP, proving the choice was correct. However, Moon Dong-ju also grew into the national team ace leading Hanwha to its first Korean Series in 19 years, leaving some KIA fans with lingering regret.

Kim Min-hoon is seen as a player who can somewhat ease that regret. According to the Korea Baseball and Softball Association (KBSA) standards, Kim Min-hoon stands 187 cm tall and weighs 100 kg, possessing a sturdy build. His fastball tops out at 148 km/h, which is not particularly fast. However, he is evaluated as having the qualities of a starting pitcher thanks to his slider and kick changeup that confuse batters.

Recently rising as a 1st-round candidate, he has also brought up the name of his senior, Moon Dong-ju. He is a "starting pitcher" type with strengths different from Moon Dong-ju. Scout A of a KBO team said, "Kim Min-hoon has the stamina to pitch long innings as a starter and good game management. When starting, he controls speed to throw in the low 140s, but in short innings, he can reach the high 140s. He throws changeups, curves, and sliders; his kick changeup against left-handed batters is particularly attractive."

Scout B of another KBO team also explained, "Personally, I'd like to watch more to see how his breaking ball series performs as a decisive pitch. However, his fastball command and changeup series are solid, so he is classified as a starting resource."

Kim Min-hoon's breaking balls are of interest not only to scouts but also to high school batters. He currently throws fastballs, curves, sliders, and changeups, with the slider and changeup drawing particular attention. A high school batter who has faced Kim Min-hoon several times said, "He is a pitcher whose splitter is difficult to hit. Batters kept swinging and missing at Kim Min-hoon's splitter."

In response, Kim Min-hoon said, "I am most confident in my slider, and my changeup has improved a lot lately. Opposing batters might mistake my slider for a splitter. The angle is quite sharp, so even juniors often misunderstand it as a slider or a breaking ball with a large angle."

He further explained, "The changeup itself is fast (low 130s km/h). I practiced it a lot right after rehabilitation. Initially, I used a circle changeup grip, but it didn't suit me, so I switched to a kick changeup grip, which worked well. I don't snap my wrist; instead, I hit with the grip itself, giving it a splitter-like feel, which creates a large angle."

His fastball velocity, which has not yet been fully revealed, is not yet at full pitching strength, so there is ample possibility for velocity to increase in the future. Kim Min-hoon underwent right elbow MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) surgery in June of his first year and made his national tournament debut at the Bonghwangdaegi last year.

Kim Min-hoon said, "In middle school, I pitched and batted, but I kept getting injured from my second year. After MCL surgery in my first year, I built my body through high-intensity training four times a week at a personal training center starting last November. During the January Haeam training camp, I focused heavily on developing a pitching mechanism to throw without pain." He continued, "Thanks to the solid work over winter, I threw my fastest fastball this year at 148 km/h. My average velocity is 145 km/h, and even on off days, it consistently reaches over 143 km/h. Rather than trying to significantly increase velocity from here, I want to hit exactly 150 km/h this year and increase it further in the pros."

Thanks to his excellent breaking balls, he has performed at a top level this year despite not having a particularly fast fastball, with 12 games, 4 wins, 1 loss, an ERA of 1.21, 52 innings, 10 walks and hit-by-pitches (8 walks, 2 hit-by-pitches), 74 strikeouts, and a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 0.88. However, he feels there is much more to improve. Kim Min-hoon said, "People around me say my control is good, but I want to pitch more precisely. I think I need more practice because sometimes my intended direction, outside pitches, and winning shot tend to cluster."

Unlike many young players who watch a lot of Major League Baseball, Kim Min-hoon's focus is on the Korean KBO League and his home team, KIA. Kim Min-hoon said, "I think the physical attributes in the MLB are different from ours, so I watch the KBO League a lot. Of course, I do follow American methods for building the body and training. I started playing baseball seriously in the third grade of elementary school, and I naturally supported KIA. At that time, I liked hitting more, so I admired player Kim Joo-chan."

He added, "It's a bit cautious, but since KIA is my hometown team, I want to go there the most. I also want to go to Hanwha where Senior Moon Dong-ju is, but in fact, if any team calls me, I plan to work hard for any team."

To achieve this, raising his value over the remaining three months is the top priority. Since he showed little due to elbow surgery, he needs to demonstrate consistency over the remaining three months.

Kim Min-hoon said, "For this year, my biggest goal is simply not to get injured, and the next is to be selected for the youth national team. After that, I want to face Senior Kim Do-young in the pros with a good draft pick. Even though his fastball is fast, it seems easy to hit. No matter where I throw, it might hit Senior Kim Do-young, but I want to face him even if I get a home run."

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*This content was translated by AI.