What would have happened if we hadn't traded first-line issuance in Korea…Finally, KIA right-hander ace successor appeared

May 06, 2025

What would have happened if we hadn't traded first-line issuance in Korea…Finally, KIA right-hander ace successor appeared
KBO League Kiwoom and KIA at Gocheok Dome on the 6th. KIA starter Kim Do-hyun shares high-fives with teammates after pitching in the sixth inning. Gocheok =Reporter Song Jeong-heon@sportschosun.com/2025.05.06/



It seems that the KIA Tigers have finally found a successor to the domestic right-handed ace. Kim Do-hyun (25), who survived the competition for the fifth starter, is establishing himself as one of the pillars of the starting lineup with consistent good pitching at the beginning of the season.

Kim Do-hyun started against the Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes on the 6th and recorded a quality start with 93 pitches, 4 hits, 3 outs, 5 strikeouts, and 3 runs in 6 innings. Even if he was not replaced and became a winning pitcher in a tie situation, he played enough pitches to serve as a foothold for the 5-3 victory. He struggled by allowing two runs in the first inning alone due to the shaking of his control at the beginning of the game, but the pitch was highlighted by the fact that he quickly found stability from the second inning and dragged 6 innings.

KIA manager Lee Bum-ho had high expectations for Kim Do-hyun this year. Kim Do-hyun, who came to KIA in April 2022 in a trade with Hanwha Eagles, solved the military problem first as an active member of the Army, and was discharged from the military in February last year and began preparing to join the first team in earnest. While serving in the military, he began to stand out to manager Lee as he grew his physique and raised his arrest through a second-tier pitcher development program.




Kim Do-hyun took the mound in 35 games (10 starts) last season, recording 4-6, three holds, 75 innings, and an ERA of 4.92, and contributing to the victory by pitching three innings of one hit, one walk, three strikeouts, and no runs in two games of the Korean Series. Coach Lee decided to foster Kim Do-hyun as a starting pitcher after fully watching him last season, and he competed with Hwang Dong-ha for the fifth starting pitcher this spring. Kim Do-hyun was able to join the opening starting rotation by gaining the upper hand in this competition.

Kim Do-hyun recorded 1-2 losses, 40 ⅔ innings and a 3.10 ERA in seven games this season. Kim Do-hyun kept his starting rotation stable, even though he might be impatient because Seung-woon did not follow. It's actually the first full-time season as a starting pitcher, but there have been no games that have yet to fill five innings and have been replaced early. The quality start is third in the team after KIA's foreign one-two punch James Nail (6th inning) and Adam Oler (5th inning). He ranks second in ERA after ace Nail (1.09). In fact, it is safe to say that Kim Do-hyun is currently KIA's domestic ace.

What would have happened if we hadn't traded first-line issuance in Korea…Finally, KIA right-hander ace successor appeared
KBO League Kiwoom and KIA at Gocheok Dome on the 6th. KIA Kim Do-hyun is pitching as a starter. Gocheok =Reporter Song Jeong-heon@sportschosun.com/2025.05.06/
What would have happened if we hadn't traded first-line issuance in Korea…Finally, KIA right-hander ace successor appeared
KBO League Kiwoom and KIA at Gocheok Dome on the 6th. KIA Kim Do-hyun is pitching as a starter. Gocheok =Reporter Song Jeong-heon@sportschosun.com/2025.05.06/
Kim Do-hyun's growth is even more welcome as Kia, which was considered the first round, has been hovering in the middle and lower ranks so far. KIA is tied for sixth with SSG Landers with 16 wins and 18 losses and a 0.471 winning rate as of the 7th. Since the opening, the main hitters such as Kim Do-young, Park Chan-ho, Kim Sun-bin and Na Sung-beom have left due to injuries. All are back now except Na Sung-bum, but the destructive power of the lineup like last year is still there. The mound was also worried because Yang Hyun-jong (5.89 ERA) and Yoon Young-chul (15.88 ERA), who were selected as the third and fourth starters, were sluggish side by side, but Kim Do-hyun became a support as he performed more than five starters.

Coach Lee and KIA coaches did not doubt Kim Do-hyun's leap this year. KIA pitching coach Chung Jae-hoon said, "(Kim) Do-hyun must have gained a lot of confidence last year. If we enter the starting rotation this year, we are also looking forward to a lot better performance than last year. He is in good physical condition, and his stamina is also good."

KIA is a team where the right-handed Korean ace was especially valuable. The left-hander ace has been easy for more than 10 years from Yang Hyun-jong to Lee Eui-ri Yoon Young-chul, but the right-hander ace has been cut off since Yoon Seok-min, who retired in 2018. Considering that Yoon Seok-min has almost taken the mound as a bullpen since 2013, there has been no right-handed ace successor for 12 years.

Will Kim Do-hyun continue his good pace at the beginning of the season to the end. The opportunity to grow into KIA's representative right-hander ace and write the trade bonanza is imminent.




What would have happened if we hadn't traded first-line issuance in Korea…Finally, KIA right-hander ace successor appeared
KBO League Kiwoom and KIA at Gocheok Dome on the 6th. KIA Kim Do-hyun is pitching as a starter. Gocheok =Reporter Song Jeong-heon@sportschosun.com/2025.05.06/




This article was translated by Naver AI translator.