'5R·7R·10R' When it comes to KIA, the draft pick order doesn't matter — they all explode! How did the 'Tigers' watermelon baseball' become possible, as directly stated by players and coaches?

*This content was translated by AI.

One word that summarizes the 2026 KIA Tigers so far is 'watermelon baseball.' After a heartbreaking off-season parting, young tigers have emerged one after another, making fans' hearts flutter again.

Especially noteworthy is the pitching staff led by starting pitcher Hwang Dong-ha (24), key reliever Kwak Do-gyu (22), and new closer Sung Young-tak (22), all selected in lower draft rounds. Hwang Dong-ha was drafted in the 2nd round, 65th overall, in the 2022 KBO Rookie Draft after graduating from Insam High School. Kwak Do-gyu was selected in the 5th round, 42nd overall, in the 2023 KBO Rookie Draft after graduating from Gungu High School. Sung Young-tak was chosen in the 10th round, 96th overall, in the 2024 KBO Rookie Draft, all donning the KIA uniform.

Their commonality is one: during high school, all three had fastball velocities in the low 130s km/h, which made survival on the professional stage seem difficult. Yet, at KIA, they achieved dramatic velocity increases. However, it cannot be explained by velocity alone. While all teams hope for velocity gains when selecting players, those picked from the 5th round and below are often compared to lottery tickets. Despite these extreme odds, why do players explode upon joining KIA regardless of their draft position? Even if it's merely a result of hindsight, we asked directly to find out.

First, the coaches credited the players' performance. Notably, Lee Beom-ho (43), KIA's first-division pitching coach, recently met with StarNews in Gwangju and stated clearly about the reasons for Hwang Dong-ha, Kwak Do-gyu, and Sung Young-tak's success: "Their pitching is excellent. These players fundamentally possess the mental strength and skills to compete against opponents."

He continued, "There is a huge difference between doubting oneself when shaken on the mound or giving opponents room to fight. They have the mental strength and aggressive mindset to control the game from the start. As these players increase their velocity and record more outs, the confidence they gain leads to even better results."

In reality, Hwang Dong-ha, Kwak Do-gyu, and Sung Young-tak were pitchers who did not fear facing top hitters in the league, even with initial velocities in the early 140s km/h upon debut. Coach Lee Beom-ho emphasized, "Anyone can throw a ball. What matters immensely is how you set up the next pitch when the current one fails. Yet, these players showed maturity in this aspect even after being drafted in lower rounds. Because they possess a mature mindset, their physical and skill growth has created a synergy effect."

Conversely, the players highlighted the atmosphere created by coaches such as Manager Lee Beom-ho (45), Senior Coach Son Seung-rak (44), and Pitching Coach Lee Beom-ho, as well as senior players like Yang Hyeon-jong (38) and Na Sung-beom (37). Kwak Do-gyu, when asked about the recent success of lower-round players, calmly responded, "I believe the rookie draft order is about timing. Players selected in higher rounds should have pride, while those in lower rounds should believe their timing hasn't come yet. This mindset is positive for themselves. Most of our team thinks this way. No one becomes arrogant because they were a 1st-round pick, and no one becomes arrogant because they were an 11th-round pick. Such team atmosphere has been most helpful for growth."

He added, "And in fact, I've known (Sung) Young-tak since his Busan High School days, so his 11th-round selection actually surprised me. In my eyes, Young-tak was a sure bet for professional selection, and I believed he would excel within a year. Even before Young-tak secured his spot, I had already mentioned in other interviews that he would do well."

Additionally, an anecdote shared by Kwak Do-gyu about Manager Lee Beom-ho and Senior Coach Son Seung-rak added special flavor to the Tigers' culture. Kwak Do-gyu said, "When Coach Son Seung-rak was in the minor league, he always encouraged players to ask 'Why?' If a problem arose in a single motion, he didn't just look at the visible result but traced the issue back to the preceding motion. At least, that way of thinking greatly helped my growth."

He further explained, "I'm not sure if the KIA Tigers intentionally fostered this mindset. But if they did, I believe that's the reason players with lower draft picks grew quickly. Both (Hwang) Dong-ha and (Sung) Young-tak didn't just work 'hard'; they questioned 'Why?'"

Another aspect is the culture where, when young prospects fail, no single person is blamed; instead, everyone reflects and discusses how to move forward. This was evident when they suffered a 9-10 loss after surrendering six runs in the bottom of the 9th inning on the 20th against the Suwon KT Wiz, only to avenge it on the 21st with 20 hits (both long and short) in an 11-5 victory.

Kwak Do-gyu shared sincerely, "Everyone says it's okay to fail, but the social atmosphere is actually different. At the Tigers, it was different. In our team, failure wasn't just a word; it felt like a necessary part of the growth process. By experiencing 'intentional failures,' I, along with (Hwang) Dong-ha and (Sung) Young-tak, felt many things and gradually improved. Manager Lee Beom-ho was greatly helpful in this regard."

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*This content was translated by AI.