New Generation of the National Baseball Team South Korea-Pitcher

Premiere 12, which is a international baseball tournament held by WBSC since 2015, which have highly viewership for Asian baseball world also the good stage for some minor leaguers or young potential prospects for 30 of MLB teams to find for their future investment. Team South Korea was a strong team in the past, includes 1st championship and 2nd ranked on 2015, 2019 Premiere 12, 2nd place in 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Compared to past international competitions, the team Korea have chosen to underwent a generational shift with a major roster change, selected many promising young professional players, primarily between the ages of 20–25. On November 1st and 2nd, they recorded a double victory against the Cuban national team, their fellow group opponent, in the warm-up games held at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Korea scores of 2–0 and 13–3 respectively. The overall pitching and hitting performance has boosted the team’s morale.

(2 straight victories in the warm-up games. Photo from:isplus.com)

Breaking away from the team culture of the South Korean team, this young generation national team includes many hitters with high contact, high on-base percentage, difficult to strike out, good pitch selection and running speed. There is a balanced left-right hitting lineup, with 14 pitchers, 2 catchers, and 12 infielders and outfielders. The pitching staff consists of 8 pitchers who hold middle relief or closer roles in their respective teams, 3 left-handed relievers, and 5 closers. The strength can be said to be very complete. Based on the overall team strength assessment, there is a high probability that the Doosan Bears’ young ace Gwak Been, who is the starting pitcher against the Chinese Taipei team. Last year, he was the starting pitcher for the national team during the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Asian Championship, showcasing brilliant performances against different top players internationally.

Team South Korea scouting reports - Pitchers

This year’s Premier 12 South Korean team has a very good pitching rotation. In addition to the 4 starting pitchers, the remaining 9 pitchers include those who can throw fastballs over 94 mph (150 km/h), high-strikeout, high-pressure pitchers, as well as long and middle relievers with left and right arm setups and good control of breaking balls. The following introduction is a group of key pitchers that the author observed as being particularly outstanding in this year’s Korean professional baseball season and who have appeared in a high number of games in the preliminary rounds.

Gwak Been ​​(곽빈) #47 - Doosan Bears, R/R, 6’2, 209 Ibs, age: 28

Pitch types: Four-seam fastball: 90–94mph, Top speed: 96 mph, Slider: 82–85 mph, Curveball: 73–75 mph, Changeup: 80–84 mph

(Gwak Been pitched Premiere 12 against team Cuba. Photo from:sportschosun)

Season performance: 15 wins and 9 losses, 167 2/3 innings pitched, 154 strikeouts and 76 walks, 4.24 ERA/1.34 WHIP. He was eliminated from the playoffs after losing due to poor control and giving up four runs in a single inning, leading to public questioning of his ability to handle pressure in big games. Gwak Been consistently pitches at least six innings, even seven, and has only left four games before reaching five innings. He is considered one of the top starting pitchers in the Korean team, especially after the ace, Won Tae in was injured. His fastball has good upward movement and tailing action, but sometimes loses its accuracy and sails high. He primarily utilizes his changeup against left-handed hitters, while the slider and fastball are used against right-handed hitters. He uses his curveball less often, but all three of his off-speed pitches are effective. In the warm-up game against Cuba on November 2nd, he started and pitched two innings, allowing one hit, striking out two batters, and walking one batter without giving up any runs. His overall pitching performance was excellent.

​​Ko Young-pyo (고영표) #1 - KT Wiz, R/R , 6’2, 194Ibs, age: 33

Pitch types: Two seam fastball: 81–85 mph, Top speed: 86 mph, Curveball: 69–72 mph, Change-up: 71–78 mph

The oldest pitcher on the Korean national team in this tournament, He is tall but throws sidearm with a near-submarine delivery. He is known for inducing swings with his variation in pitch speed, working the corners of the strike zone. He is a durable pitcher with excellent command and few walks, able to throw starter and reliever.

(Ko young-yo. photo from: Sportschosun)

In the Game 1 of this postseason against the LG Twins, he started for four innings and pitched effectively in relief on the next two days. Ko Young-pyo has been a regular member of the national team in recent years. His soft-tossing style, which effectively disrupts hitters’ strategies, is the reason he has been the ace of the KT Wiz for so long. He is particularly adept at inducing double plays with runners on base. His fastball with a two-seam sinker has a significant movement. He pairs his low-angle changeup with a tempting curveball that breaks outside the strike zone — this combination is Ko Young-pyo’s signature pitch selection.

Kim Taek-yeon (김택연) #63 — Doosan Bears, R/R, 5’11, 194Ibs, age:19

Pitch types: Four seam fastball: 90–95 mph, Top speed: 97 mph, Curveball 71–75 mph, Forkball: 79–83 mph

As the youngest pitcher in the lineup, he represented South Korea in the U18 World Baseball Championship last year, delivering a phenomenal performance with 16 innings, 29 strikeouts, only 5 hits allowed, and a 0.88 ERA. After being selected second overall by the Doosan Bears in the first round, his professional career began, and he was heavily relied upon in his rookie year. After taking over the closer role mid-season, he pitched all the way to the playoffs. He made 60 appearances with a 3–2 record, 4 holds, and 19 saves, a 2.08 ERA, and a 1.26 WHIP, showcasing an above-his-age performance, making him a strong contender for Rookie of the Year.

He successfully made the Premier 12 roster. Kim Taek-yeon’s fastball boasts a speed of up to 2,500 revolutions per minute, with an accelerating tail and upward movement as it crosses home plate. He gained lots of attention earlier this year in a warm-up game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he struck out main hitters Teoscar Hernandez and James Outman in three consecutive pitches in a single inning.

(Kim Taek-yeon. photo from: YonHapNews)

He has shown an increasing intensity in the playoffs, with no signs of fatigue even after three consecutive days of pitching. He relies heavily on his fastball (78%) with a mix of sliders (19%) and other pitches. He generates numerous swings and misses with his high-angle fastball and low-angle slider. In the Premiere 12, he is expected to take on the role of closer or a relief pitcher in the 8th inning with runners on base.

Kwak Do-gyu (곽도규) #0 — Kia Tigers, L/L, 6’1, 198 Ibs, age: 20

Pitch type：Two seam fastball: 89–91 mph, Top speed: 96 mph, Slider: 79–94mph, Curveball: 73–78 mph, Change-up: 81–83 mph

During his student days, he imitated Josh Hader’s shoulder-angled pitching posture. Kwak Do-gyu’s release point is a 3/4 sidearm, capable of throwing a 91 mph two-seamer. In this season’s 71 games, he pitched 55 2/3 innings with 64 strikeouts. Left-handed hitters’ batting average against him is only 0.182. His fastball and slider are his primary weapons, with the curveball used to entice swings and generate many whiffs.

Although only 20 years old, he won 2 victories in the 5 games of this year’s Korean Series. He frequently struck out batters in bases-loaded situations, demonstrating his ability to control the game. His lively and outgoing personality, coupled with his willingness to challenge hitters with good pitches, has allowed him to shoulder the bullpen responsibilities in his second year in the professional league. The author believes that he is a very threatening new powerful left-handed pitcher in the Korean team’s bullpen.

(Kwak Do-gyu. photo from:mk.co.kr)

Park Yeong-hyun (박영현) #60 — KT Wiz, R/R, 6’0, 200 Ibs, age: 21

Pitch types: Four seam fastball 91–95 mph, Top speed: 97mph, Changup 79–83 mph,Slider 78–82 mph

Last year, in his second year in professional baseball, Park Yeong-hyun won the league’s “Hold King” with 32 successful holds. My first impression of him was his appearance in the Hangzhou Asian Games, where he entered the game in relief in the 7th inning against the Chinese national team. His fastballs generated a lot of swings and misses from the batters.

This season, he took on the role of closer and achieved a 10–2 record with 25 saves, a 3.52 ERA, and a 1.11 WHIP. In 76 2/3 innings pitched, he struck out 87 batters and walked 22. Park Young-hyeon’s short arm action utilizes lower body power, resulting in very stable control, a high fastball velocity, a high strikeout rate, and a heavy pitch that is difficult to hit for extra bases.

His pitch mix is 70% fastball, 20% changeup and 10% slider. He throws a fastball 90% of the time on the first pitch at-bat, demonstrating a level of confidence and stability that surpasses his peers. In this tournament, he and Kim Taek-yeon are scheduled to pitch in the final inning to close out games, or to relieve the 8th inning runners on base.

(Park Yeong-hyun. photo from: OSEN)

Besides the key players analyzed above, the bullpen’s overall pitching strength is more stable than the starting rotation. Another left-handed reliever Choi Ji-min, who is from the Kia Tigers, while his performance started strong but declined this year, with a soaring batting average and control issues at the end of the season, his stable performance last year earned him a spot on the Hangzhou Asian Games. His fastball and slider, which he used to suppress consecutive left-handed hitters against the Chinese team, left a strong impression. His high leg kick and ball concealment make it difficult for hitters to grasp the pitcher’s release point. His fastball speed is close to 89–93 mph, 6’1 Ibs player should not be underestimated.

Also from the Kia Tigers, is the 23-year-old, Jung Hai-young, a young closer who has earned 121 saves in his five-year career. 6’2, high-pressure right-handed pitcher with a fastball around 89–95 mph and a 86 mph slider as his main weapons will come in to pitch in the 7th inning in situations where the game is tied or the score is close.

SSG’s registered closer Jo Byeong-hyeon, LG Twin’s You Young-chan , KT Wiz’s So Hyeong-jun, and Doosan Bears lee Young-ha, all possess an excellent breaking ball and a fastball averaging 90–95 mph, and they are highly to pitch in the middle of the game.

(So hyeong-jun. photo from: YonhapNews)

Kim Seo-hyeon (김서현) #44 — Hanwha Eagles, R/R, 6’2, 189Ibs, age: 20

Pitch types: Four and Two-seam fastball: 94–100 mph, Top speed: 102 mph, Slider: 81–88 mph, Changeup: 84–88 mph, Curveball: 78–82 mph

Kim Seo-hyun is a three-quarters sidearm right reliever with a big arm rotation that has allowed him to significantly increase his fastball velocity every year since recovering from Tommy John surgery in his first year of high school. His trademark on the field is his glasses. He was already a very famous player while attending the prestigious Seoul High School, a powerhouse in baseball. After entering the professional leagues, he has mostly been used as a reliever. His inconsistent command is his current weakness, but his ability to throw good strikes down the middle of the plate still makes him very difficult to hit. His fastball has a large horizontal break, and his slider creates a significant difference in the opposite direction, resulting in a very high whiff rate.

(Kim seo-hyun. photo from: OSEN)

Kim Seo-hyun’s personality is quite interesting. He was initially embroiled in controversy after publicly criticizing the team’s management and the players’ long-standing poor performance on social media. He frequently replies to fan comments. I had a brief interaction with him during spring training in Arizona. He is a young player who speaks very frankly in private but is quiet in a group setting. He is a future pillar for his team and his country, along with Hanwha Eagles ace Moon Dong-joo, last year’s first-round draft pick left-hander Hwang Jun-seok, and this year’s draft pick Jeong Woo-joo. His role as a reliever in the Premier12 tournament is not fixed. He has already reached 155 km in the warm-up game against Cuba on the weekend. However, one thing is certain: his fastball will make the audience get to know him well.

Author’s point of view about national team South Korea in next decade

The national team South Korea’s future will focus on the young players who played in last year’s Asian Champions League and the Hangzhou Asian Games, also Premiere 12 in November. From the pitcher analysis, it’s clear that the overall strength is even more outstanding than in the past. Due to scientific training, the average pitch speed of the pitchers has also become faster, more young kids are able to touch over 92 mph ball speed. The starting pitchers are confirmed to be Kwak Been and Ko Young Pyo, taking on the first and second starting roles. The starting pitchers for the third, fourth, and fifth regular games will be selected from among the best in shape from Doosan Bears’ left-handed pitcher Choi Seung-yong, LG Twins Im Chan-kyu.

The games against the team Korea would be extremely difficult to score runs from their bullpen, as the relievers are known for their high strikeout and whiff rates. This forces other teams to quickly adapt to different types of fastballs and react to changes in pitching strategies.

(Team South Korea. photo from: OSEN)

As a writer who has followed South Korean professional baseball for 11 years, the last three years so many young pitchers are so strong in either Korean professional baseball and high school. Most of them are over 6’0 with strong body mechanics on average. In their first year of professional baseball, at least 4 or 5 rookie pitchers can secure their spot on the first team roster. Just seeing the young ages of many of the pitchers on this national team who serve as closers in their respective teams, ranging from 19 to 24 years old, it’s not hard to understand why I have been emphasizing that the overall pitching strength of the future Korean team will be stronger than ever before. I am also very much looking forward to this young pitching group’s debut on the world stage.