*This content was translated by AI.
SSG Landers rookie Kim Min-jun (20) found the secret to his second career quality start (6+ innings with 3 or fewer earned runs) in advice from Pedro Avila (29), a foreign investor with MLB experience.
On the 23rd, in a game against Busan Lotte Giants, Kim Min-jun pitched 6 innings allowing 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5 batters without giving up any runs, leading SSG to a 5-2 victory and securing a winning series.
After the game, Lee Seung-yong, SSG’s pitching coach, praised Kim Min-jun: "The rookie pitched confidently against an opposing foreign pitcher. His performance has noticeably improved with each game." It was a pitching effort that truly bolstered the team.
That day, Kim Min-jun threw a total of 95 pitches, including his fastest pitch at 149 km/h (48 pitches), sliders (21 pitches), forkballs (16 pitches), and curveballs (10 pitches). By efficiently utilizing various breaking balls, he neutralized the Lotte lineup with just two hits. This marked Kim’s second quality start of the season and his third win. Meanwhile, Lotte starting pitcher Alvin Rodriguez also pitched 115 innings in a similar 6-inning, 3-earned-run quality start, but his effort was overshadowed by Kim’s performance.
After the game, Kim Min-jun shared his thoughts: "In my last start, I couldn’t lead the team to consecutive wins. So today, I focused on continuing the winning streak after Avila’s strong outing. I’m happy that I achieved my goal."
Kim Min-jun graduated from Bonghwang Elementary School (Gyeongju City Little League), Pohang Middle School, and Daegu High School before being drafted as the 5th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft by SSG. During his time at Daegu High School, he was evaluated as an immediate impact player with strong command and a reliable breaking ball, along with excellent game performance. As a result, he was selected as the Grand Prize winner in the baseball category at the "4th Futures Star Awards" held last November.
He is performing as expected. Despite missing the early part of the season due to injury, Kim has become a major strength for SSG’s pitching staff with 3 wins and 2 losses in 7 games, an ERA of 4.55, and 26 strikeouts over 31⅔ innings.
His quick recovery ability and fast learning skills are also noticeable. As a young player in his first professional season, he has shown inconsistent performance at times — such as the recent game against KIA where he gave up 5 earned runs in just 2 innings.
The reason for his rebound within a single game lies with SSG’s new foreign investor Avila. Born in Venezuela, Avila is a veteran with 72 games of MLB experience.
Kim Min-jun explained: "In the last game, I rushed my pitching pace and couldn’t throw the ball as I wanted. So today (on the 23rd), I focused more on using my lower body during my delivery, which led to good results."
He added, "I received advice from Avila about why his slider is so fast. After that advice, I tried to grip my thumb like I do when throwing a fastball while delivering my slider." He expressed gratitude for the guidance.
With both Avila and Kim Min-jun integrating into the starting rotation faster than expected, SSG aims to make a strong second-half comeback, achieving a winning series in just seven series appearances. Kim Min-jun concluded: "I want to keep pitching well like today and show good performances. I’m grateful to the fans who traveled all the way to Busan. I will repay your love with even better performances in the future."
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*This content was translated by AI.
