ERA 8.22, 20-year-old Lotte rookie: Kim Jin-wook heading to AG; replacement likely starter! Manager Kim Tae-hyung says, "He has the repertoire for a starter" [Busan field report]

*This content was translated by AI.

A candidate to fill the vacancy left by Kim Jin-wook (24), who was called up for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, has been identified: Kim Han-gyeol (20, Lotte Giants), a rare two-seam fastball pitcher in Lotte's roster.

Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung (59) said on the 29th ahead of the home game against LG Twins at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, "If Kim Jin-wook goes to the Asian Games, Kim Han-gyeol is the most likely replacement. We've been considering using him as a middle reliever after evaluating him once. There's also no other middle reliever available..."

Kim Han-gyeol graduated from Munchang Elementary School (Gwangmyeong Little League), Seongnam Middle School, and Seongnam High School before joining Lotte in the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft as the 54th overall pick in the sixth round. A right-handed pitcher, his strengths include a fastball reaching up to 149 km/h and a high-value forkball. In the Futures League, he recorded 1 win, 2 losses, an ERA of 4.15 over 11 games, with 27 strikeouts in 26 innings.

He is evaluated as possessing all the pitches needed for a starter: a two-seam fastball reaching up to 150 km/h, a forkball, and a curveball. Manager Kim Tae-hyung noted, "Kim Han-gyeol seems better suited as a starter. His repertoire is strong. He has the pitches required for a starter. Looking at his body structure and style, he also fits the physical profile of a starter."

He demonstrated this potential in the game against Incheon SSG Landers on the 12th. Despite being notified on short notice to start that day, Kim Han-gyeol pitched 4⅓ innings (73 pitches), allowing 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5 batters, giving up 4 earned runs. Notably, through the fourth inning, he held opponents to just one run despite unfortunate batted balls and defensive errors, striking out Park Sung-han and Kim Jae-hwan consecutively. Since then, he has appeared only in relief, posting a record of 1 loss with an ERA of 8.22 over five regular-season games, but is still regarded as having strong potential.

Another candidate for the starting rotation is right-handed pitcher Kim Tae-gyun (20), who graduated from Gyeongnam High School. Selected in the 10th round, 94th overall of the 2025 KBO Rookie Draft, he recorded 1 win, 3 losses, one hold, and an ERA of 6.04 over eight games in the Futures League this year. He made a start during spring training against Doosan Bears this season, pitching three innings, allowing two hits (one home run), no walks, striking out six batters, and giving up two earned runs, earning recognition. While he has worked through the starting rotation in the Futures League, he has recently been used in relief roles.

Meanwhile, Lotte plans to make the most of ace Kim Jin-wook, who will be called up to the Asian Games national team starting at midnight on September 14. Kim Jin-wook appeared in 21 games this season with a record of 6 wins and 5 losses, an ERA of 3.37, 120⅓ innings pitched, and 105 strikeouts, earning his second national team call-up since his rookie year in 2021. He also holds a strong record against the upcoming opponent LG: three games with one win, no losses, and an ERA of 2.37, making him a key asset for Lotte's bid to break their losing streak.

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*This content was translated by AI.