My parents and son, who also watched the second division, are now KIA ERA 0.00 pitchers…So that only the first team can come to the ballpark
Jun 08, 2025
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Right-hander Sung Young-tak (21) is bringing new life to the KIA Tigers this year. He made his first-team debut this season, his second year as a member of the team, and has continued his scoreless streak for 10 innings in eight games. It's not luck. WHIP (on-base Huh Yong-soo per inning) is only 0.80, and the hit rate is very low at 0.143. There is a reason why he has been in the first team for more than 20 days and maintains a 0.00 ERA.
Sung Young-tak set the stage for a 7-6 walk-off victory in the 10th inning against the Hanwha Eagles in Gwangju on the 8th. While starting pitcher Yang Hyun-jong collapsed with five runs (4 earned runs) in two ⅓ innings, Sung Young-tak came out as the second pitcher. Sung Young-tak minimized bullpen consumption by pitching 35 pitches, two hits, no four outs, and one strikeout in two ⅔ innings. Sung Young-tak maintained a tight flow, so he was able to break down Hanwha with the league's best ace Cody Ponce at the forefront.
Sung Young-tak graduated from Busan High School and was nominated by KIA with 96th overall in the 10th round of the 2024 Rookie Draft. It was difficult to nominate the top because the fastball speed in high school was only in the late 130km range. Still, I was able to wear a professional uniform because of my sophisticated ball control. The club tried to make the body first in the first place and then take it step by step.
A KIA scout official pitched 125 innings for two years when he nominated Sung Young-tak. I did ace duty in high school. I was concerned about the injury, so I asked the part to let the ball build up physically rather than throwing. Even during the off-season, he trained mainly in training. He has good control and command, so he has good game management ability. If his speed improves, he is perfect as a starting pitcher."
As he slowly built up his body in the second division, Sung Young-tak raised his fastball speed to up to 147km. It was a huge change in a year. Thanks to this, he was able to get a chance in the first team this year, and he is proving to be a pitcher who also works in the first team. The game on Tuesday mixed curves (7), actively utilizing modified fastballs such as two-seam fastballs (12) and cutters (16). The maximum speed of the two-seam fastball was 145km and the average speed was 142km.
Sung Young-tak "The second-tier coaching staff and the power analysis team made a very good program for me. You prepared well and helped me to be officially registered in May. The arrest was felt little by little since last year's wrap-up camp. I kept going up even when I didn't take a break from practice in the offseason, and it's being maintained. If the ball leaves the hand when throwing, you can definitely feel the strength when you enter the catcher's mitt. The use of the body has become very soft, too. Now I feel like I'm throwing with my body. Last year, I threw too much into my arms. Now I feel like I know how to throw it and throw it. It took me about a year to realize it," he replied, smiling.
On the mound, I press the desire to check the restraint on the electronic display. This is to focus on the fight with the batter. When the pitch is finished, the restraint is checked then. It is confirmed that this amount of restraint comes out when it feels like this. The target speed is 148 kilometers.
Sung Young-tak said "I hope it will be 1km faster per hour, and I hope the average speed will go up a little." I threw 147km and came out 145km in the next game. I hope the average restraint will be better than the maximum restraint. The second team was easy to manage because there were days with and without games, but the first team has games every day, so physical strength and body management seem to be important. I think it's so important to be in good condition. So I'm working out every day" he said.
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Sung Young-tak was unlike the amateur days. If the ball count is concentrated, it's definitely right. I felt I shouldn't throw it gently to get a strike. I also felt that I shouldn't think that if I throw a breaking ball, I won't hit it. I definitely felt a lot when I threw it last year that my ball control was number one. "Now, even if the ball count is concentrated, I have a clear confidence that I can set the count with a breaking ball."
Sung Young-tak is evolving faster as he gains experience on the first-team mound. KIA manager Lee Bum-ho is increasingly paying attention to important situations due to the rapid growth rate.
Sung Young-tak said, `Last year, I threw a fastball, but this year, I'm mixing two-seam fastballs together. I definitely think the ball movement should be good near home plate. Since typing is the role of hitting. I think it's a fight about how weak you get the ball to hit the bat. I think a lot of the movement of the ball near the plate. That way, it's hard for batters to control momentarily, so I think good results continue to come out"He vowed to continue the above efforts to continue to work steadily in the first team."
Sung Young-tak's parents visited Gwangju to watch the series with Hanwha. I watch almost every game even though it is difficult to know whether my son will take the mound or not because he has no clear position yet. Whether it's home or away, I go anywhere. I also visited the second-tier stadium, which has relatively poor traffic conditions, to see my son every time.
Sung Young-tak said "I think my parents come almost every time I go to every stadium. He has been watching me play baseball since I was young, and he also came when I played in the second team. Still, it will feel very different from the first-team stadium. You'll love it just by looking at me wearing a professional uniform. When my parents come to the ballpark, I would like to tell them that I don't want them to be nervous and just watch it comfortably, regardless of whether I throw or not. You've been coming to the ballpark since high school, but now I'll try to come only to the first-team ballpark."
He also thanked Kia fans for their enthusiastic support.
Sung Young-tak is a 10th-round pick, but I think I thought the opportunity would come someday, so I saw it and kept silent. I want to do better because the fans like it. I was walking down from the mound after the inning and it was really nice to hear my name. It's really nice that there are a lot of fans. It gives me a lot of strength. I think that's the kind of atmosphere that gives me more adrenaline and it's good. Now, I think it would feel empty without the cheers of the fans. If I get used to the first team and be quiet, I don't think my performance will come out well"I want to be a pitcher with this image of 'I'm not going to give a point if this pitcher comes up when the team is winning."I'm determined.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
