5 points → 7 points → 6 points, what are you doing, 13 points → 11 points → 11 points, but no matter how many times he is the first top rookie, the 19-year-old pitcher's harsh debut game

Mar 26, 2025

The exhibition game between Lotte and Kiwoom at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 18th, and Kiwoom Jung Hyun-woo is handed the ball after giving up a hit to Lotte Yoon Dong-hee in the top of the fourth inning with one out. Gocheok = Reporter's book@sportschosun.com/2025.03.18/

No matter how many times he's ranked first, he's a 19-year-old rookie pitcher...

Kiwoom Heroes have been in crisis since the opening.

Kiwoom lost 6-11 in the first of three consecutive games during the week against the KIA Tigers at Gwangju Kia Champions Field on the 25th. It is the third consecutive victory following the opening two consecutive games of the Daegu Samsung Lions.

The pattern was the same. The bat bursts. I scored five, seven, and six points. Two ambitious foreign hitters, Puig and Cadines, have a very good early hitting sense.

The problem is that even if you score at the beginning, the selection will collapse. He gave 13 points, 11 points and 11 points in three games. No matter how well you hit the bat, you can't beat Rosenberg, Ha Young-min, 5 runs (4 earned runs), and Kim Yoon-ha, 8 runs (7 earned runs).

In any case, Kiwoom needs to end its losing streak as soon as possible. The pick on the 26th is Chung Hyeon-woo, a rookie who is considered the first overall pick in the draft.

In an exhibition game between Lotte and Kiwoom at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 18th, Kiwoom starter Jung Hyun-woo is pitching hard. Gocheok = Reporter's book@sportschosun.com/2025.03.18/

Expectations are very high. He has already shown the prowess of the pitcher 'elementary, high school level' in spring camp practice and exhibition games. The ball speed is not that fast, but the ball control and control of the breaking ball are excellent. Unlike young players, the game management is also high-quality.

However, it is too much of a burden. If Kiwoom had won at least one game, he would not know, but he carried too much weight on his shoulders in the opening losing streak. It's an away game here, and the opponent is defending champion KIA. On top of that, the fact that KIA's batting lineup has fully recovered, including five home runs on the 25th, is another factor to be concerned about for Chung Hyeon-woo.

Still, what can be comforting for Chung Hyun-woo and Kiwoom is that while Kim Do-young is out due to a hamstring injury, Park Chan-ho, the core of ball and defense, also injured his knee in the game on the 25th, and is likely to miss the day. The player's injury is unfortunate, but it can be a positive factor for Kiwoom, who has to live.

Will Chung Hyun-woo be able to save Kiwoom in crisis. If you play well in such a difficult situation and lead the team to victory, your debut season can be solved properly. That's how a star is born.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.