For left-handed reliever Kim Young-kyu (23-NC Dinos), the ‘two games’ in which he gave up a lot of runs were particularly unfortunate.
Kim pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen against the LG Twins at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on 4 April to earn his eighth save of the season. One run allowed in six and one-third innings in his last seven games. Lowered his ERA to 3.92 (9 runs in 20 and two-thirds innings) from 4.34 before the game. The game was notable because it was a “bounce-back” game after two previous blowouts.
In 20 appearances this season, Kim has pitched 16 scoreless innings. He finished 80 per cent of his appearances without giving up a run, but his ERA fluctuated in the four-run range after the two big losses. Coincidentally, both games were against LG Electronics. He gave up four runs in the first inning against Jamsil on 19 April and three runs in the first inning against Changwon on 2 May. With seven runs in just two games, 77.8 per cent of their season total (nine runs) came in LG games.메이저사이트
If you remove the two big outings, his season ERA is 0.96 (two runs in 18 and two-thirds innings). That’s as good as any left-handed pitcher in the league, but when you add in his two LG starts, the picture changes. It’s encouraging to see that he’s lowered his ERA to the low 3s from a high 6s in mid-May. His batting average (0.178) and walks allowed per inning (WHIP-1.11) are both excellent for the season. He’s becoming more competitive as he gains experience.
Kim was named to the preliminary roster for the Hangzhou Asian Games (AG) announced in late April last year. There are 24 left-handed pitchers in total. Among the specialised bullpen resources, Baek Seung-gun (SSG Landers), Kim Jin-wook (Lotte Giants) and Choi Ji-min (KIA Tigers) stand out. With so many young left-handers in the league, the competition has intensified. A closer look at his stats reveals that Kim has his own ‘strengths’. He’s a commanding left-handed bullpen arm with a fastball that tops out at 150km/h. He has pitched 63 innings for four consecutive years, starting in 2019. His Inherited Runner Scored Percentage (IRS), a bullpen metric that tracks inherited runners, is as low as 21.4 per cent (3/14) this year.
Kim told this publication in April, “I’ve never worn a taegeuk mark before. It’s natural for every Korean player to want to wear the national team jersey. I’m greedy.” Since then, his personal performance has deteriorated significantly due to two big mistakes at LG Electronics, but as he has gotten back on track, he has significantly lowered his detailed indicators. On the 4th, he restored his pride with the LG Electronics ‘sulshin’ and made a mark of competitiveness.