30 games to be selected → 11 billion won in salary next year and 5 starts for KBO ace SD
Mar 26, 2025
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The San Diego Padres included left-hander Kyle Hart, who played the ace role for the NC Dinos last year, in the season-opening rotation.
San Diego selected Randy Vazquez and Hart as the fourth and fifth starters on the 25th (Korea time) by sending down Steven Colek, who was a starting competitor, to Triple-A. Kolek pitched 17 ⅓ innings in five spring training games (three starts), marking a 2.60 ERA, six walks, 12 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.33, but decided to take more starting classes in the minor leagues. He was a former 11th round draft player in 2018 and made his major league debut last year and pitched in 42 games as a bullpen pitcher with a 5.21 ERA.
Hart pitched 157 innings in 26 appearances in NC last year, going 13-3 with a 2.69 ERA, 182 strikeouts, and WHIP 1.03, tied for third in multiple wins, second in ERA, and first in strikeouts and WHIP, winning the Choi Dong-won Award, which is given to the best pitcher.
NC planned to re-sign Hart, but after negotiating throughout the offseason, he signed a one-plus-one-year contract with San Diego in early February to re-challenge the big league. This year's annual salary is $1 million, and the club option of $5 million next year is $500,000 in buyout. If he starts in 30 games this year, his annual salary next year will increase to up to $7.5 million (about 11 billion won).
San Diego hired Hart as a fifth-choice candidate, but immediately after signing, he said, `I'm so happy to be here and I want to help the team. I chose this team because I thought I was ready to win. "I'm a better pitcher on the winning team. I expect pitcher coach Ruben Nibla to lead me well." You always have to learn in Major League Baseball. I'm excited to think that the pitching part will be of great help to me."
Coach Nibla is considered one of the top classes in the Major League in fostering promising pitchers.
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Hart was sluggish with an ERA of 9.39 as he allowed eight runs after getting 10 hits, including three home runs, in seven ⅔ innings in two training games, but in a way, it is not unreasonable to say that he won the starting position. Since he made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2020 and pitched four games, this is actually the first time he has a full-fledged big league opportunity.
According to MLB.com , the rotation of the opening four consecutive games against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park from the 28th to the 31st is in the order of King, Seas, Hart or Vazquez and Pivetta. In other words, Hart started the season as a third starter or a fifth starter. Hart showed off a variety of pitches, including a 92.3 mile maximum and an average 90.5 mile fastball in the spring training and his main weapons, sliders, changeups, sinkers and curves.
However, if Darvish, Waldron and Brito return to injury and Kolek makes a big growth in the minor leagues, Hart's position will be unstable. You have to make sure you catch it when you get the chance at the beginning of the season.
Meryl Kelly (Arizona Diamondbacks) and Eric Peddy (St. Louis Cardinals) are cited as examples of successful starters in the Major League after honing their skills in the KBO. It remains to be seen whether Hearts will continue that line.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
