'AG+All-Star+Closer' All Missed, But Now at 21, He Quietly Follows the Path Given to Him

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Taek-yeon (21), a pitcher for the Doosan Bears and the 2024 Rookie of the Year, endured a difficult year in his third season.

He started the season strong with three saves in nine games and an ERA of 0.87, but an unexpected shoulder injury forced him to sit out for a month and a half. He returned to the first division on June 10, but the closer role was no longer waiting for him. Doosan manager Kim Won-hyung (53) continued to assign the closer duties to Lee Young-ha (29), while Kim Taek-yeon was designated as a middle reliever.

Kim Taek-yeon's name was also absent from the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games (AG) baseball national team roster announced on the 11th. Doosan had three players selected: pitchers Kwak Bin (wild card) and Choi Min-seok, and infielder Park Jun-soon. Fans were particularly disappointed, as Kim Taek-yeon had been a consistent presence on the national team since high school, including in the 2024 Premier12 and the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC).

Furthermore, in the 2026 KBO All-Star Game voting, which began during his injury period, Lee Young-ha was the only Doosan closer candidate listed. Kim Taek-yeon, who had been selected as a middle reliever for the 2024 Best 12 as a rookie and chosen for the All-Star Game via manager recommendation last year, was unable to step onto the dream stage for the first time since his debut.

As a newly assigned middle reliever, Kim Taek-yeon had been fulfilling his role, earning a hold in the KT Wiz game on the 18th. However, he recently showed sudden signs of poor form, allowing back-to-back home runs in two games. In the match against LG Twins on the 20th, he entered in the 8th inning with a 2-1 lead and allowed Moon Bo-kyung to hit a three-run, go-ahead home run. In the Hanwha Eagles game on the 23rd, he surrendered a solo home run to Pera in the 7th inning to tie the game at 2-2. Doosan ultimately lost 3-2 in the bottom of the 9th on a walk-off hit by Noh Si-hwan.

However, there were no three consecutive failures. On the 25th in the Daejeon Hanwha game, Kim Taek-yeon relieved starter Benjamin in the 6th inning with two outs and the team trailing 4-1. He pitched 1⅓ innings, allowing one hit with no walks and recording two strikeouts without allowing any runs, earning a hold and contributing to the team's 5-3 victory. He gave up a single to Sim Woo-jun in the 7th inning with one out, but he retired Lee Do-yoon on a third-base grounder and struck out Kwon Kwang-min on a fourth-pitch swing and miss. His season statistics stand at 16 games, one loss, three saves, two holds, and an ERA of 3.06.

The manager is also carefully considering Kim Taek-yeon's feelings. Manager Kim Won-hyung stated, "I told Kim Taek-yeon, 'For now, I'd like you to pitch a bit closer to the front as a middle reliever. At some point, you'll be able to return to your original role, so let's continue playing and find the right timing.' I believe Kim Taek-yeon will fully understand. I am confident that all players consider the team's success as the top priority."

Now at 21 years old, facing the first trial of his professional career, Kim Taek-yeon is quietly and bravely walking the path given to him.

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*This content was translated by AI.