"Game management at a veteran level": Manager praises SSG's 20-year-old rookie Kim Min-jun, who was selected as the second starter ahead of foreign investors [Incheon field report]

*This content was translated by AI.

"SSG Landers manager Lee Seung-yong has selected rookie Kim Min-jun (20) as part of a one-two punch alongside Pedro Avila.

Manager Lee Seung-yong said on the 11th ahead of the home game against Lotte Giants at Incheon SSG Landers Field in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, "After thinking twice and thrice about the rotation, I decided it was better to pair the players in the best condition as a one-two punch. Starting today, the order will be Avila, Kim Min-jun, Takeda, Hatch, and Kim Geon-woo."

With the KBO League taking a four-day break due to consecutive heatwaves, each team had an opportunity to reorganize their starting rotations. SSG sat in ninth place with 39 wins, 4 draws, and 60 losses before the game on the 11th, drawing attention as Kim Min-jun moved up to become the second starter ahead of Takeda Shota and Thomas Hatch.

Kim Min-jun is a right-handed pitcher who graduated from Bonghwang Elementary School (Gyeongju Little League), Pohang Middle School, and Daegu High School before joining the team as the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft. Although his start was hampered by injury, since officially joining the starting rotation, he has recorded 4 wins and 2 losses in 9 games with an ERA of 4.12, pitching 43⅔ innings and striking out 33 batters, bringing stability to the mound.

Manager Lee Seung-yong stated, "Kim Min-jun stood out even during our spring camp interviews. He appears quiet, but his first impression was strong. As a manager and general manager, I've seen two or three players like that before, and they tend to succeed. If he stays healthy, he will be really fun to watch. Kim Min-jun's game management is close to veteran level. In the last game, it looked tough in the first one or two innings, but he found his rhythm. I could see him growing step by step, and after watching that game, I became convinced."

The game referred to by the manager was against LG Twins on the 4th at Incheon. At that time, Kim Min-jun struggled, giving up two walks in the first inning and allowing one run in the second. However, he held firm for four more innings and ultimately achieved a quality start (six or more innings with three or fewer earned runs), finishing with six innings and two runs allowed.

On this day, SSG lined up its batting order as follows: Jung Jun-jae (second baseman), Park Sung-han (shortstop), Kim Jae-hwan (designated hitter), Jeon Ui-san (first baseman), Bly Madris (left fielder), Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder), Han Yu-seom (right fielder), Jo Hyung-woo (catcher), and An Sang-hyun (third baseman). Pedro Avila was the starting pitcher.

Manager Lee Seung-yong expressed hope, saying, "It will be important how quickly they regain their game rhythm. Last week was too hot, but this week's weather is cooler, so players should be able to focus more on the games."

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*This content was translated by AI.